Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust
by Mistress Megatron
Summary: After accidentally encountering a Decepticon, Rae's life is changed forever. She gains unlikely friendships with the Autobots and after a devastating heartbreak, one of them may prove to be more than just the hero of the hour.
1. The Trigger

My biggest fear with this story is that no one will read it since it's taking place in Armada, but I hope to be proven wrong. This story has been in development for the past year, mostly just fiddling around in my brain until I was able to finally woo it into creation. I really hope that you guys enjoy this first chapter, I know it's been years since I've uploaded a new story, so I'm thinking that it's about time that I did. Please, please, please feel free to give me any feedback at the end, whether it's good or bad, let me know. Anyways, I'll stop typing now so you can read.

_**Disclaimer****: Transformers and all related characters belong to Hasbro and not me.**_

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><p><strong><span>1.<span>**

**The Trigger**

She knew that she didn't deserve this.

Rae barely heard the crack of thunder as she grabbed her purse and car keys off the kitchen counter before storming out the door of her apartment, determined to leave everything behind forever.

"_What are you doing?"_

"_Baby…what are you doing home so early?"_

"_Who is she?"_

"_Baby it's not what it looks like…baby, wait, hold on, you can't leave me!"_

Rae slammed the car door shut and started the engine. She had enough. There were nothing but bad memories in that apartment; there was no need to look back…to come back. She shifted the car into reverse as she backed out of her parking space before she stopped momentarily and switched the car into drive. She turned onto the busy street, driving away from the pain, from the man who was determined to reduce her to nothing.

She watched as lightning lit up the sky before focusing her attention back on the road. She flicked her headlights on, though it was only late afternoon, it might as well have been night. The clouds were so thick it made the whole world seem like it was lost in darkness.

She could barely focus on the road around her, on the storm, anything. She was so angry, so bitter, so broken hearted she just wanted to smash something or burst into tears. Rae didn't know where she was going, she just knew she had to get out of town, to escape into the surrounding desert for a little while until she could collect her thoughts, regain her bearings, and figure out what to do.

Rae knew she couldn't go home; her parents lived a million miles away. She had moved to Lincoln, Nebraska a couple years ago for college, however, she had unwittingly fallen head over heels for a man she had met there. He wasn't one of the college students; in fact, he was a mechanic at a local garage that had stopped to help her when her car broke down on the side of the road one day. They exchanged numbers and exchanged hearts not too long afterwards, and after two years of bliss together, after moving in with him to save on costs of room and board at the college, things suddenly began to fall apart.

But Rae didn't want to think about the downfall. She didn't want to think about all the pain he put her through, all the pain she still had to go through, and the heart ache she would have to somehow overcome.

She blinked back a few tears, trying to convince herself that her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend was not worth a single one of her tears. She was snapped out of her thoughts when a big drop of rain suddenly landed on her windshield with a loud pop. A couple seconds went by and a few more fell when suddenly the heavens burst open and it began to pour. Rae groaned as she turned her windshield wipers to their highest setting, but even that wasn't enough. She squinted through the streaks her wipers left as she drove out of the town.

Traffic thinned out almost immediately, but the thunderstorm only seemed like it was getting worse. Rae contemplated pulling over until the rain let up a little bit, but her foot stayed glued to the gas pedal. She couldn't stop. She wanted to run until the pain was gone, until she collapsed from exhaustion, until she just couldn't go any further. Trying to relax and forget the pain for a bit, she switched on the radio, but every station seemed to be playing love songs, which sent tears burning to her eyes.

"Breathe," she told herself out loud, "You're a beautiful young woman; don't let one man cripple you like this. You're strong enough to be on your own."

But as hard as she tried to hold the tears back this time, Rae lost the fight. Tears fell from her eyes almost as hard as it was raining outside. The fight to see the road became even harder as the tears blurred her eyes. She desperately tried to wipe them away, but she couldn't stop them from coming.

All the memories, they'd never fade. All the feelings, they wouldn't die over night. She still loved him so much, despite all he had done to her. And no matter how much she tried to convince herself, she couldn't make herself believe she was so much better off without him.

_Turn the car around…_

_God damn it, no!_

_You always turn the car around…_

_**Not**__ this time._

Her heart was in pieces, shattered inside her chest. She wondered how she was still alive; she wondered how her heart could still beat when every pulse was so painful. Rae whimpered involuntarily as she wiped her eyes again. As she stared back out the windshield, her eyes caught the gleam of something black. She slammed on the brakes in horror, but it was too late.

Rae couldn't brace for the impact as the airbags suddenly went off and the passenger side of her vehicle was suddenly crushed as if it were made of paper. She was so paralyzed with fear that she couldn't scream as the windows shattered and glass flew at her. The vehicle came to a stop by itself…and with shaking hands, Rae turned the car off. This horrible day was only turning into a nightmare.

She quickly got out of the car, cursing at herself in her head and thankful the rain hid her tears. She had to check and make sure the other driver was okay. As she walked around her car getting soaked by the rain the process, she was surprised to see that the car she had sideswiped hadn't sustained any damage at all. She noticed the black car had a red symbol on the hood that was scratched out and a purple one was beneath it. But she was even more shocked when she saw that the vehicle was empty, that there was no driver anywhere to be found.

Rae began to wonder if the car had been abandoned by its driver when suddenly she heard a growl, followed by a venomous voice snarling, "You _better_ not have scratched my paint, flesh bag!"

She took a startled step back, trying to figure out where the voice came from. "Who...Who's there?" she asked.

"I am!" the car remarked before suddenly transforming into a giant robot. A giant _angry_ robot.

Rae felt like fainting as she took a few steps back. She was so surprised that she didn't know what to say, nothing other than, "Oh my God!"

"You _ruined_ the calculations I was in the process of doing…give me one good reason why I _shouldn't_ end your miserable existence!"

Rae felt herself getting sick, she didn't want to die, even if meant ending the pain, she knew she had so much going for her. And she especially didn't want to die by the hands of some mechanical being she wasn't sure if she was imagining or not. "I didn't see you!" she protested, not knowing what else to do, "You should've had your blinkers on or something! And besides, it'd probably piss you off even more to have to clean human guts off the bottom of your foot."

"I don't have to squish you," he said aiming his gun at her.

Rae felt the sickness rising into her throat, "You totaled my car, isn't that enough?"

The robot seemed to ponder it. He knew that she could probably call somebody to come pick her up or tow the car away. But until that happened, she was left all alone in a forsaken desert, in the middle of a thunderstorm, helpless. He looked her over, her eyes were red and a bit puffy, but he didn't know why. He couldn't tell what emotions she was feeling, but he could guess she had a rough day. But being kind wasn't in his nature…

"Look, I don't know if this means _anything_ to you, but I caught my boyfriend with another woman today, and in the process of leaving, I not only totaled my car, but ran into some giant robot that I had no idea _existed_ but is now trying to kill me, you couldn't give me a break, could you? Even if it's against everything you believe in that mechanical mainframe of yours?"

"If you're afraid for your life," the robot said, "You shouldn't be speaking to me like that."

Rae watched with nervous eyes as his finger tightened around the trigger, but he didn't pull it. He was hesitating, trying to decide whether it was really worth it or not to end her existence. "I'm not trying to come off as rude," she said quickly, "It seems like you have done this before…I thought you would've recognized I was begging for my life."

He smirked, relaxing his grip on the gun, "Perhaps you would make a good hostage then. Unlike most humans, you seem pretty mature, and unlike the flesh bags that the Autobots entertain, old enough to hold your own."

"What are you…talking about?"

"I _really_ hate having to explain myself; perhaps it would be easier to show you."

Rae wanted to run, to get into her car and drive, but she couldn't drive a broken car and she certainly couldn't outrun this mechanical monster on foot. She was stuck between an unfaithful boyfriend and a robotic being that couldn't decide whether he wanted to kill or imprison her.

There had to be a silver lining somewhere…

"You don't want me," she whimpered, almost pathetically. She took a few more steps back, tears burning in her eyes once again.

"I can't let you get away, you've seen too much."

"I won't tell anyone, I promise—

He studied his gun momentarily before aiming it back at her. "You're just wasting my time now. Consider yourself lucky, human. I actually _thought_ about sparing you."

He squeezed the trigger.

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><p>Everything seemed to be too bright when Rae opened her eyes. She squinted and closed her eyes before allowing them to flutter open again, only to squeeze them shut once more. Between glimpses, she noticed a blurry white, red, black, and yellow figure looming above her. She blinked a few more times, waiting for her vision to clear. And when her vision finally did clear, she wasn't sure what she was staring at. Whatever it was, it seemed beautiful to her, it seemed peaceful, almost angelic. A sense of calmness went over her as she stared into the yellow orbs that she figured were the angel's eyes as she tried to figure out what was going on.<p>

All she remembered was the ground exploding around her before she lost consciousness. She tried to guess where she was. Considering she was still alive, that giant black robot must have spared her, or completely missed his target. She heard machines humming and clicking around her…someone must have come along and spotted her on the side of the road. Perhaps it was the angel that was looking down upon her now. She guessed if she was alive, she was at the hospital, and if she was dead, then she was in heaven.

"Are you an angel?" she asked softly, and she swore she heard the thing smile.

"Well, I've never been asked _that_ before," it replied.

It suddenly clicked in her brain that this being wasn't an angel. She felt like the blood had drained from her face as she realized she was staring at another giant robot. "Let me go!" she shouted, sitting up quickly, causing a sudden dizziness to cloud her eyes.

"Calm down," the robot said, "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Who…who are you?" she asked as she tried to back away from him.

"I'm Jetfire," he replied and then explained, "You had an encounter with the Decepticon, Wheeljack, earlier. You're lucky I detected his warp signature and decided to investigate. I was able to deflect his shot and rescue you in the nick of time."

"S-Save me?"

"Yes, I don't mean to scare you, but I _promise_, you're going to be _totally_ fine."

"So…you're not going to kill me?"

He chuckled and shook his head, "No. Unlike the transformer you met earlier, there are some friendly ones out there fighting for peace in the universe. This here is Red Alert; he took care of your injuries." And he gestured to a red, blue, and white robot.

Rae felt dizzy as she looked over to _another_ giant robot. "I don't understand…" she remarked, "_What_ are you?"

"We're transformers from the planet Cybertron," Red Alert answered before going on to explain how there were three factions, Decepticons, Autobots, and Minicons. He clarified why they were on Earth, he explained the difference between the Autobots and Decepticons and the significance of the Minicons. And he explained how they were at war. "We never meant to get you involved," he said, "If you wish, you may walk away from this. We only ask that you promise not to tell anyone of our existence."

"Where am I?"

"Our base."

"What about my car?"

"I'm afraid it's damaged beyond repair," Red Alert replied before turning to Jetfire, "I'm going to go give a report to Optimus. Perhaps it's best you stay in here with her until she settles down."

"No problem Red."

The startled female watched as the Autobot medic left the med bay before turning her attention back to Jetfire. He looked her over for a moment before asking, "What's your name?"

"R-Rae," she answered.

"Are you feeling alright? Red Alert said you sustained a mild concussion."

"I-I'm fine," she managed to say, "I'm just trying to decide if I'm dreaming or not…I've had…I've had a _really_ bad day and this kind of just…I don't know if it makes it worse or just completely strange."

Jetfire smiled, but his smile disappeared when he saw Rae was blinking back tears. But she managed to compose herself quickly, sighing heavily, "Sorry."

"If you don't mind me asking, is everything alright?"

"Um, no. But, it's not for you to worry about. You've already done more than enough for me when you didn't have to."

"Is there anybody that needs to be contacted to know where you are?"

"No."

"No parents?"

She shook her head, "I'm going to college here in Lincoln, Nebraska. The rest of my family is back in Pennsylvania. They won't know."

"What about friends?"

"They won't notice if I'm gone for a couple days…ugh my aching head," she remarked as she lay back down, shielding her eyes with a hand, "By the way…where is my car?"

"I brought it here to the base—

"Good because it has my stuff in it."

"I'll get your stuff for you in the morning; you should probably get some rest."

"Wait, I have one more question," she said.

"I'm listening."

"Why did you save me? I mean, you could've let me die, nobody would have known. You don't even know who I am."

"It's against my nature to allow Decepticons kill innocent people," Jetfire replied, "You may be just a human, but your species isn't that much different than ours."

Rae looked him over, trying to decide if his response was genuine or not. She couldn't tell though, his battle mask concealed most of his facial features and expressions. All of his emotion was in his optics.

The Autobot watched as she studied him. He knew his response sounded rehearsed, but as an Autobot it was his responsibility to protect others from harm inflicted by the Decepticons. Jetfire sensed that she was insecure and wanted to hear something more in order to know that she meant more than just a responsibility he had vowed to keep. He couldn't lie though; he had only just met her.

But, as she looked him over, he couldn't help but get lost in her eyes. There was something behind those hazel irises that almost frightened him, something that made him worry, something that gave him a feeling that something was absolutely and terribly wrong.

Finally, after some time, he said, "Go to sleep, Rae."

"Are you leaving?" she asked.

"Red Alert will be back here soon if you need anything. I'll come back in the morning to check on you."

"Okay, see you around Jetfire."

He nodded before standing and going over to the door. He gave a command for the lights to go off so that Rae could sleep better.

"Uh, Jetfire…can you leave one of the lights on? I'm…I'm afraid of the dark."

He smiled, "I thought humans grew out of that fear."

"Not all of them," she replied.

He did as she wished though before finally leaving the room. As he walked down the lonely corridor towards his quarters however, he couldn't forget Rae's eyes as she had looked him over. Though she was calm, her eyes seemed so full of sadness and pain, but he couldn't figure out why.

Perhaps it had been fate for them to meet.

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><p>Thank you to Mrs. Optimus Prime and MegatronLover217 for reading this over before I posted it. Please review and let me know what you think!<p> 


	2. A Stranger's Bed

Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the previous chapter of this story. I tried to get this one out as soon as I could. I hope you enjoy it. Also, this story is rated T for a reason, reasons you will find out in this chapter.

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><p><strong><span>2.<span>**

**A Stranger's Bed**

It was whispering that woke her up when, after the events that transpired the previous day, she should've been dead. Rae opened her eyes, half expecting Jetfire to be there, but instead when she looked over she saw a Hispanic boy standing by her bedside.

"They kidnapped you too?" she asked groggily, trying to remember exactly what had happened yesterday.

The boy gave a small, nervous laugh before he said, "Didn't Jetfire tell you he was one of the good guys?"

"Right…" Rae remarked as her memory came back to her. She looked around only to see that the Hispanic boy wasn't alone. There were two other people standing by her bedside with him. "Who are you guys?" she asked.

"I'm Carlos," the Hispanic boy answered.

"Rad," said the other boy.

"And I'm Alexis," said the only female of the trio, "What's your name?"

"I'm Rae," she replied.

"Jetfire told us about what happened," Rad spoke, "We're glad you're okay."

Rae made a small grunting noise. These kids had never known her until now, how could they possibly be glad that she was okay? She sighed figuring that they must have been young. "How'd you guys meet the transformers?" she asked.

"We accidentally found a Minicon panel," Rad said.

Even though Rae was informed of the war between the Autobots and Decepticons, she still wasn't exactly sure what a Minicon was or what a Minicon panel was. She simply nodded before Alexis said, "We brought the stuff from your car. There wasn't a lot, but we grabbed what we thought was important." And she handed Rae a bag.

"Thanks," she said as she took the bag.

"Jetfire told us to get it since he's too big to fit in your car," Carlos remarked with a chuckle, "He came by earlier this morning but he said you were sleeping so he didn't want to wake you."

"That was nice of him," Rae mused.

"We also found this," Carlos said as he handed her a photograph of a man, "It was clipped to your rear-view mirror, so he must be someone special. Is he your boyfriend?"

Rae looked at the picture and her heart broke all over again. Her throat suddenly seemed to close up and she felt like she couldn't breathe. She felt like if she tried to speak she would throw up. She tried desperately to fight away the tears that were building in her eyes. He was the last person she wanted to see and definitely the last person she wanted to talk about at the moment.

"I see somebody is finally awake."

Everyone looked over as Jetfire walked into the med bay. Rae sighed with relief. Jetfire had just saved her again without even realizing it. "It's not that late," Rae remarked, faking a smile, "I'm sure if you had a concussion you wouldn't feel like moving either."

"Well, Red Alert told me this morning that you were all set to leave the med bay. Since I've got time, how about the kids and I show you around the base and introduce you to the others?"

"Others?" Rae repeated, "Just how many of you guys are there?"

Alexis laughed, "Come on, we'll show you."

Hesitantly, Rae stood from the bed. She watched as Jetfire knelt down and held his hand out to her. She looked up at him, unsure, before she slowly stepped onto his hand. He lifted her and set her on his shoulder, next to his head. Rae clung to the side of his face, which caused Jetfire to chuckle as he remarked, "Let me guess, you're afraid of heights?"

"A-A little," she replied.

"_Don't worry_, when you're with me, you're in good hands. I won't let you fall."

Together they then left the med bay with the other kids trailing behind. They said they would meet Jetfire and Rae in the command center. Jetfire proceeded to show her around the base and Rae was just starting to get the gist of things when he brought her to a room that was larger than the rest and it was filled with even more Autobots. If she had been walking, she would have paused in the doorway, stunned. If the Transformers had always been here, hiding in plain sight…the thought of it was overwhelming.

The kids seemed excited that she had finally arrived as Carlos exclaimed, "Good, you're here! We can introduce you to the others now!"

"This is the rest of you, right?" Rae asked.

"Besides the Decepticons, yes," Alexis answered.

"Okay, from right to left," Rad said, "That's Hotshot, Sideswipe, Blurr, Red Alert, Scavenger, Smokescreen, and Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots."

"I'm not good with names," Rae said shyly, which caused a few of the Autobots to chuckle. She went on to say, "My name is Rae. Jetfire and Red Alert told me what happened yesterday and I wanted to say thanks for everything you've done to accommodate me."

"Aw shucks," Hotshot remarked, "We didn't do that much."

"What about you Rae?" Carlos asked, "You haven't really told us about yourself."

"There isn't much to say…"

"Are in you in school like the kids?" Smokescreen asked.

"No, I graduated almost three years ago. After I graduated, I came out to the university here in Lincoln, Nebraska in hopes of getting my bachelors degree in Special Education," Rae said, then she realized the Transformers probably had no idea what she was talking about.

"What's so special about it?" Sideswipe asked.

Rae blushed as the kids laughed.

"Come on Sideswipe," Alexis said, still smiling, "She's going to teach kids that have difficulties learning."

"Oh," the blue Autobot remarked, "My bad."

"So, Rae," Carlos mused, "You're _old_."

She frowned, "I'm not that old. I'm only turning 21 this year."

"So," Jetfire piped up, "Where are you staying, Ra-Ra?"

Rae stiffened; her boyfriend was the only one who called her that. She desperately fought off a wave of sad memories as she said quickly and quietly, "I have a place." It was a lie.

Jetfire looked over at her only to see that look in her eyes was back, the look that frightened him, made him worry, the look that gave him the feeling that something was absolutely and terribly wrong. "Are you sure?" he asked accusingly, "You're welcome to stay here; we could fix you up a room."

"Thanks but I have a place," she lied again, "I'll be gone by morning…I have things to do."

Jetfire stared at her, knowing that he wasn't the only one who picked up on her sudden change in mood. Rae was fine one second, then quiet and secretive the next. _Something_ was up, and whatever it was, Rae was in no position to talk about it. "Let's take a walk," Jetfire said before he left the command center, Rae still perched on his shoulder.

Rae sighed heavily when the door closed behind them. She didn't know what to say though, she felt miserable. Everyone here seemed so happy and carefree though they claimed they were in the middle of a war. She had yet to see it though. She, in all her misery, did not belong here.

"You know," Jetfire sighed after they walked for a few minutes, "Since I saved your life, I feel kind of _responsible_ for you and your wellbeing. I feel kind of like your guardian."

"Thanks," was all she could say.

Behind his facemask he frowned. "Is there something you want to talk about?"

Tears flooded her eyes and Rae panicked as she tried desperately to keep from crying. "No," she said, "I don't know you well enough to unload all my problems on you. I mean, it wouldn't be fair."

"So there are problems."

She didn't say anything.

"Look," he said, "I won't pry. Are you planning on coming back?"

"I don't know."

"Well, you know where we are if you ever change your mind. I'll take you back to the med bay so that you can get your stuff. I'll have Hotshot give you a ride to wherever you need to be, sound good?"

"Yes, thank you."

Jetfire simply nodded as he walked back towards the med bay where her stuff was.

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><p>Rae felt sick to her stomach as she had Hotshot drop her off at her ex-boyfriend's apartment. She grabbed the bag that her stuff was in and waited for the yellow Autobot to leave before she walked into the dirty apartment complex and went up the stairs to where she used to live. When she got to the correct door, she tried the knob only to find out that the door was locked. Rae sighed relieved, that meant nobody was home. Using the key she still had, she entered the apartment, holding her breath as she did so.<p>

She had vowed to never come back here, but her necessity to have her clothes, toiletries, laptop, and other things made her break the vow. Rae worked quickly to pack what she could into a duffel bag that she had and grab her school books. She would shower at the gym on campus and do her homework on campus as well. Since she had a college ID, she could take the bus for free in order to get there.

"_Good, you're figuring this out."_

When Rae had all that she could take, she quickly left the apartment and went down to the bus stop. As she waited, she tried to avoid the gazes of other people. Instead, she pulled out her phone for the first time since she had left the apartment yesterday. There were no missed calls, no unread messages. She felt like shattering, but at the same time, what had she been hoping for? If her ex had called, if he had sent her a text, that would have showed that he still cared, right? Did she want him to beg for her? To plead on his hands and knees until she finally forgave him?

When Rae stepped on the bus and heard Here Without You by 3 Doors Down playing on the radio, she almost turned around and got off. Instead, she took a seat next to a man whose belly was too big for his shirt and was hanging over his belt. His shirt was full of stains, his beard was scraggly and greasy and he smelled like a combination of diesel and fish. Rae tried to concentrate on the rancidity of the man beside her in order to distract her from the pain in her chest, but he ended up getting off at the next stop.

Instead, she was left to wallow in her own self-destructive thoughts.

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><p>Jetfire was surprised when Optimus called him into his office later that afternoon. The Autobot second in command tried to recall anything he may have possibly done wrong, but nothing came to mind as he stepped into Optimus' office. Trying to squish back his nervousness, he said, "You wanted to see me, sir?"<p>

"Yes," Optimus replied, "I want to talk about Rae."

"She left sir," Jetfire said, "I don't know if she's going to come back."

"I have a feeling she will," the Autobot leader remarked before saying, "Has she…mentioned anything unusual?"

"What do you mean?"

"Earlier in the command center she seemed to get a little defensive when you asked her if she had a place to stay. Has she mentioned anything about family or friends?"

"She said her parents live in Pennsylvania, I looked it up and that's over 1200 miles away from here, and since she said she's been here for almost three years I doubt she's homesick. She also said her friends wouldn't notice if she didn't contact them for a few days," Jetfire explained before confessing, "There's this…_look_ in her eyes that just…it makes me feel like she still needs to be rescued from something."

Optimus was silent for a few moments, contemplating what Jetfire had said. "Well," he finally spoke, "If she comes back, she'll be your charge."

"What? But Optimus, I'm _second_ _in_ _command_ of the Autobots, I'm _not_ a babysitter."

"I'm not asking you to babysit her, Jetfire. Just help her out if she needs help. I think what she could really use is a friend."

The deputy commander sighed heavily, "Optimus, _believe me_ when I say that I would _really_ like to know what's going on with her and help her out, but do you really think I'm the guy that's best suited for the job?"

"I wouldn't say befriending a person is a job. Think of it as an opportunity. Besides," Optimus remarked, "If you feel like she really does need to be rescued from something, wouldn't you feel better knowing that you could be the one to save her life?"

Jetfire sighed heavily, "I already saved her life."

"Sometimes people need a different kind of saving," he said, "I would suggest you get a room ready for her. You're dismissed."

"Yes sir."

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><p>Rae stood in the shower, sobbing.<p>

She wanted to throw herself at her ex, she wanted to know what she had done to make him go astray, to make him betray her, to make him feel like he had to hurt her like this. She wanted to go back to the beginning with him just so she could prevent this from happening, just so she could have him forever.

Her heart was broken, shattered, bruised, bleeding, coursing pain throughout her entire body…but she still _loved_ him.

The relationship had died overnight, but her feelings hadn't. She hated him for lying, for stabbing her in the back, for abandoning her now, for not offering to let her come home so she could at least have a place to sleep at night. Rae racked her brain trying to think of just what she could have possibly done to make him _hate_ her _so_ much.

"_You have an opportunity now to be whoever you want."_

Rae felt sick, she didn't want that opportunity. She thought she had found who she was. She didn't want to start all over again with someone else. She couldn't possibly love someone else like she loved her ex.

"_Think about the Autobots."_

She paused, the thought bringing her a momentary comfort. She had met an alien race of giant robots yet all she could think about was her own misery. She smiled at the irony.

"_Think about Jetfire."_

For a robot, he was very likeable, almost human beneath all that armor he wore. She tried to picture him as a human. He'd be tall, muscular, and handsome with long red hair and golden eyes. She smiled.

"_There you go, now one step at a time. Get out of the shower, finish getting ready, get something to eat, then go to the library and do your homework."_

She shut off the water and began getting ready.

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><p>Even though it was a Saturday, the library on campus was rather empty. Rae was just thankful it was open until 1:00am so that she could hopefully find a place to stay temporarily. Trying to ignore the heaviness in her heart, she sat down at a table and pulled out her laptop. She worked on homework a little bit before she began texting her friends, asking for a place to stay. While she waited for them to reply, she went to her Facebook and pressed the 'update status' button.<p>

_What's on your mind?_

She sighed heavily before typing, "Kind of in a tight place, need a place to stay for a few days. Can anyone accommodate me?" She then blocked her mother, whom she was friends with, from seeing the status and posted it.

Her phone vibrated. Holding her breath, Rae looked at the message she received. It said, "Sorry girl, if I could help you out I would." She frowned as she went back to doing her homework, checking her Facebook, and reading text messages in between.

"Are things okay? I'd let you stay but…"  
>"Just talk to your bf Micah! Things will be okay, love."<br>"Sorry, can't."  
>"Try talking to residence life Monday, they might have rooms available on campus still."<br>"Sorry, just rented the place out to someone else a few days ago. Best of luck!"

By midnight, nothing had changed. Rae gathered up her stuff and left the library. There were no benches to sleep on in town, there were no train stations or bridges or boxes she could take refuge in. There was nobody she could call either. Sighing heavily, Rae hid her duffel bag in some bushes not far from the library on campus.

Feeling empty, Rae walked to a club that was down the street from the campus. She showed her ID to prove that she was over 18 before she walked in, immediately getting swallowed into the loud, drunken, sweaty mess of partying college students and men and women desperate for Mr. or Miss Right Now.

She wasn't there long when a man way older than what she was comfortable with approached her. To Rae, he wasn't attractive. He looked gruff, angry, and she swore he killed people as a hobby.

"Hey," he said above the noise of the music and people, "What's a pretty girl like you doing here?"

"I have nowhere else to be," she replied, trying to keep her cool.

"Are you looking for a place to stay?" he asked, smirking.

His breath reeked of alcohol and marijuana and Rae felt like throwing up. If her mother knew what she was doing...Rae tried to shake away the thought. "Yeah," she replied, "Got into a fight with my roommates."

"You can stay with me…for a _price_."

She was terrified. She didn't want to. She just wanted to go _home_. She thought of her mother. She thought of Jetfire. She could've stayed there, with him. What was she doing?

She followed the man out of the club.

* * *

><p>"Hi, you've reached the Office of Residence Life, how can I help you?"<p>

"Hi, my name is Rae Emerson, I'm a student here at Lincoln University and I was wondering if there are any dorm rooms still available—

"Honey, it's the _middle_ of the _spring_ _semester_. All the empty dorm rooms were filled by spring transfers."

Rae sighed heavily, not appreciative of the fact she had been talked down upon. She hung up without saying anything. It was Monday morning; she had class in an hour. She was thankful for something normal to help her forget a weekend that turned out to be from hell. Saturday night had been the worst, sharing a bed with a stranger that she left the moment dawn peeked over the horizon. He had not been gentle and she still had bruises from that. Last night she had slept outside, freezing, in the same bushes where she had left her duffel bag. Despite how terribly uncomfortable it had been, it was better than a stranger's bed.

She tried not to cry as she thought about it. Instead, she went to class early to get her mind off of it. When she got to class, she sat down, thankful to be in a familiar room with people who were completely unaware of her problems. However, during class, she couldn't stay focused. She didn't want to spend another night outside and she wasn't about to seek a stranger's help. Her mind was stuck on Jetfire and how he had offered her a room at the Autobot base. If she went back, what would she say? How would she even get back to the base?

"_Are you in school like the kids?"_

The kids…

* * *

><p>Rad, Carlos, and Alexis all perked up when they saw Rae waiting outside of the school, waiting for them. "Hey Rae!" Carlos said excitedly as he approached her, "I take it you want back in the base?"<p>

She faked a smile, "Yeah. I guess I just couldn't stay away."

"Look, you have your things," Rad said, "Do you plan on staying there for a while?"

Rae shrugged, "Why not? I thought about it, I figured it'd be cooler than living with my lame roommate." It was another lie, but the kids didn't know. They laughed.

"Alright," Alexis said, "You can ride with me."

And Rae rode with Alexis back to the Autobot base. Once inside, the kids immediately showed Rae where her room would be. She walked inside only to find a fully furnished room. She never knew the relief of having a room to herself could bring tears to her eyes. "Guys," she remarked as she went inside and set her stuff down, "You didn't have to do this."

"Jetfire told us to get it ready for you," Carlos said, "We all knew you would be back at some point."

The room was huge. There was a closet, there was a full bathroom, office space, living space, it was like a little apartment for her inside of the base. It was a breath of fresh air in her stale life.

"Well, well, well, look who decided to come back."

Rae turned only to see Jetfire standing outside. It was so good to see him, too. Rae smiled a real smile this time. "I changed my mind," she said.

He nodded, "It's good to have you back, Ra-Ra."

Rae couldn't hold back the tears this time. Jetfire ushered the kids out and knelt down so that he was able to poke his head in the room. "What's going on, Rae?" he asked gently.

"Please don't call me Ra-Ra," she said through tears, "It reminds me of something…_someone_ I lost."

"I'm sorry," he said softly, "I didn't know. Are you going to be alright?"

"I-I don't know. I had a really bad weekend. Nobody cares about me—

"That's not true, Rae."

"I didn't have a place to go, none of my friends would let me stay with them," she confessed, still crying, "A man let me stay with him only after I slept with him—

"_Primus_, Rae…" Jetfire remarked, his spark going out to her. He took her in his hand and pulled her out of the room, holding her to his chest, trying to bring her whatever comfort he could, "What's going on?"

But she didn't answer as she clung to his chest, feeling comforted by the heat that was radiating out. He didn't force her to answer any more questions. He stroked her back with his thumb as he realized that getting to the truth of the matter was going to be more difficult than what he originally thought. Before he could help her, she had to be happy again, that was more important than anything else.

"_Oh Rae…how could you possibly feel so unloved?"_

* * *

><p>Well, what do you guys think? Review and let me know, I appreciate any and all feedback. Thanks!<p> 


	3. Strawberries and Licorice

Many, many, many thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing this story! It means a ton to me, I swear. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

><p><strong><span>3.<span>**

**Strawberries and Licorice**

Rae told herself that no matter what happened, she would be happy today.

The misery had not left her heart, in fact, she thought it sprouted roots and buried itself deep inside of her soul. But today, she wouldn't let herself think about the misery. She would think about the things she was happy for, the things that she had going for her, the opportunities she had now that she was a single woman.

Rae climbed out of bed hoping to put her best foot forward. She would not let a broken heart kill her when people suffered through so much worse every day. She made a mental list of what she would accomplish that day, starting with a shower. She turned towards the bathroom, ready to put the misery behind her that was worse than a shadow. She ended up tripping over her backpack which was loaded with her school books and falling flat on her face.

"Nice one, Rae…" she scolded herself. She tried to laugh at her own embarrassment, but it came out forced and sounded like a choked out cough. Instead, she got up and stepped inside the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Reason number one to be happy: she didn't get hurt and nobody had seen her fall.

When Rae finished showering, she took time to dry her hair and dress herself. She decided to wear blue jeans with holes in them and a blouse that looked like it had captured the colors of the sunset in it. When she finished dressing, she made herself a quick breakfast and then brushed her teeth. She then grabbed her backpack and phone and walked out of her room where Hotshot was already waiting.

"About time," Hotshot said, "You ready to go?"

Reason number two to be happy: she had a personal chauffeur that just so happened to be a giant alien robot _and_ transformed into a sports car.

"You bet," she replied.

"You seem a little perkier today," he remarked as he walked with her to the exit of the base.

She didn't want to tell him she was forcing herself to feel this way. She sighed heavily, knowing that happiness shouldn't be forced, but she would force anything in order to leave the shadow of her misery behind.

"I got a good night's sleep," she replied, lying. But the lie caused Rae to frown. How many lies would she end up having to tell? She was not a liar, why was it so hard to tell them that she had left her boyfriend, that she was crippled by a broken heart? She didn't want to look weak in the eyes of those who were strong. She didn't want anyone to know how much she was suffering. It was unfair to share the misery she felt with anyone else. It was her burden to bear, no one else deserved to suffer like she was.

When they reached the exit, Hotshot transformed into his vehicle mode and opened the door. Rae got inside and sat behind the wheel, tossing her backpack in the passenger's seat. He closed the door while buckling her in before speeding out of the base and into the Nebraskan wilderness.

"So where to this morning?" Hotshot asked, "School or work?"

"School," Rae answered, "Thanks for doing this again."

"It's no problem, and since Jetfire is my commanding officer, I don't have much of a choice."

"Well, if you could con Wheeljack into getting me a new car to replace the one he destroyed, you wouldn't have to drive me around everywhere."

Hotshot laughed, "Wheeljack used to be a good friend of mine. It's too bad war changes people."

Rae sighed heavily, "I know what it's like to lose someone you care about."

Love was a war of its own. They say that no matter what happened, no matter how people act or what wrongs they may commit, everything was fair in love and war. Rae knew that wasn't true. Nothing was fair when it came to love and war. She had paid the ultimate price for loving someone she believed she could trust.

"Sucks, doesn't it?" Hotshot said, snapping Rae from her thoughts.

"Yeah, big time."

"So…" he mused as he tried to think of something else to talk about, "What made you decide to come all the way to Nebraska from Pennsylvania?"

"My mom thought the college out here was the best one for me. She only wants the best for me," Rae said with a smile, "She was willing to pay every penny she had ever worked for in order to make me happy. God I miss her."

"Don't you visit?"

"Just around the holidays," Rae said, "I've been so busy out here. She's the last person in the world I want to let down."

"You're her daughter, no matter what happens, she's always going to love you."

"Aww, Hotshot," Rae remarked, "You're getting me all misty eyed."

Hotshot smiled as he pulled up to the college, "Well, as long as you're getting misty eyed over something good, then I don't mind. And you're welcome."

"I'll see you around two then?"

"Two it is," Hotshot replied.

Rae bid him goodbye before grabbing her stuff and heading towards the building where her first class was.

Reason number three to be happy: she had a mother that loved her more than anything in the world.

* * *

><p>2:00pm couldn't have come any slower.<p>

Rae sighed frustrated as her last class finished up at 1:45pm. She shoved her books into her backpack, irritated at the amount of homework she had to get done in the next couple of days. However, if she had a large amount of homework to focus on, she could spend less time focusing on her ex-boyfriend. The ex-boyfriend, who, even though almost a week had passed by since she left, had still not bothered to contact her and ask her if she was alright.

She slung her backpack over her shoulders and left the classroom, heading in the direction of the parking lot where Hotshot would be. She walked slowly, counting her steps, trying to distract herself from thoughts of her ex. She rounded a corner as she reached number sixteen only to crash into someone.

"_Not again…"_ Rae thought, "I'm really sorry about that…" But she stopped when she realized who she had crashed into. It was the girl she had caught her boyfriend in bed with. She was so surprised that she couldn't move. Her heart felt like it had stopped beating inside of her chest. Sound and air seemed to be sucked out of the hallway. People continued to move around them, but all Rae could do was stand there and stare in disbelief.

"Rae," the adulteress said. Her voice was sweet. It reminded Rae of strawberries and licorice. She was beautiful too. No wonder her ex liked her enough to defile their bed.

"No," Rae said, "I don't want to talk to you." She forced her feet to move around the strawberry girl and out of the building.

"Rae, come on, hear me out!"

"Don't follow me!" Rae bit back, eyeing Hotshot in the distance. She felt ugly, like a pig or a serpent. She felt like she was salt and poison. Not sugar, not strawberries and licorice. She reached Hotshot and opened the driver's side door, tossing her backpack into the passenger's seat.

"Rae!" the girl called again as she finally caught up, "You _need_ to talk to Micah." She stood a few feet away, standing on the curb. Her eyes reminded Rae of cotton-candy.

"He doesn't want to talk," Rae said, "I have to go."

"Come on Rae, don't be mad at me. I didn't know—

"You're both to blame." She got inside Hotshot and slammed the door shut behind her.

The yellow Autobot proceeded to pull away from the campus. He was silent for a few minutes before he asked, "What was that about?"

Rae's bottom lip quivered. She buried her face in her hands as she let out an anguished, choked sob of agony.

* * *

><p>Rae could barely concentrate on her homework. Her head ached, her eyes burned, her face felt like it had melted off from the good two hours she had spent crying her heart out. She gave up on trying to find reasons to be happy. She couldn't trick herself into believing what wasn't real. Happiness would come on its own, if it ever returned. She felt like she was trapped in an eternal darkness, her heart lying ripped to pieces bleeding on the ground. She didn't want to be like this forever, but she didn't know how to snap herself out of it. She set her pencil down and stared at her phone, debating whether or not to call her mother. She shook her head and grabbed a tissue, dabbing a few tears from her eyes.<p>

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Rae said.

A muffled voice replied, "I'm a little too big to do that."

She gave a small smile, recognizing the voice. She went over to the door and opened it only to see Jetfire kneeling there. "Hey," she said.

"Hey," he said back in a concerned voice, looking her from head to toe, "Hotshot told me about what happened earlier. Are you alright?"

"Better now," she said, "I'd rather not talk about it."

"Who's Micah?"

Rae glared at him before going back in her room and closing the door loudly. She heard Jetfire sigh loudly before saying, "Come on Rae, don't do this."

She leaned against the door before crossing her arms and saying, "I said I didn't want to talk about it."

"Alright then, we'll talk about something else."

"I have a lot of homework to do," she said.

"What is with females and doing homework?" Jetfire asked, "Alexis is the same way but Rad and Carlos don't seem to care."

"Females care too much."

"Open up Rae."

Hesitantly she opened the door and leaned against the doorframe, looking at him. She changed the topic quickly saying, "Are you making Hotshot drive me to and from class?"

"I don't know how else you would get there."

"If I'm inconveniencing anyone, I'll leave."

"_Don't_ leave."

They stared at each other. Jetfire noticed that her eyes seemed puffy and a tad bit swollen; he figured that she had spent some time crying. He had decided a couple days ago after she broke down in front of him that he was going to make her happy…somehow he had to figure out just what it was that would bring the most happiness to her.

"What do you like to do for fun?" he asked her.

"I like to go to parties," Rae said slowly, "I like to shop and to hang out with my friends. I like to watch movies. I like having bonfires and driving around until I get miserably lost and have to stop and ask for directions on how to get back home. I like stargazing…I like watching the sunset and the sunrise. I like going to the beach."

"I'll make note of that," Jetfire said just as an alarm went off.

"What's going on?" Rae asked, surprised.

Jetfire grinned behind his facemask, "Do you like adventures?"

"It depends on the type of adventure."

"Guaranteed a Minicon has just woken up, want to go with us to rescue it?"

"You mean…" Rae said, "Go out to the frontlines?"

"Not the frontlines _per se_," Jetfire remarked.

"Will the Decepticons be there?"

"Of course, we need to have some kind of entertainment."

"I don't like fighting," Rae said, "I'm a pacifist."

"Everyone's a pacifist until it gets personal," Jetfire remarked. He held out his hand to her, "Come on, it'll get your mind off things."

Rae looked at his hand, "What if…what if something happens?"

"With me, _please_, you're in good hands. I promise, _nothing_ will happen to you."

Rae sighed heavily. She had a feeling she wouldn't like this as she climbed onto his hand and prepared to go to war.

* * *

><p>When they arrived in the general vicinity of where the Minicon was located, Rae felt completely lost. It was like they had been thrown inside a painting of meadows, mountains, a forest, and lakes. It was paradise, but Rae felt misplaced.<p>

"Come on!" Alexis said as she grabbed her by the wrist, directing her away from the Autobots, "We'll split up and see if we can find the Minicon."

"You mean…we're just going to leave the protection of the Autobots?" Rae asked as she hesitantly followed Alexis.

"It's what we usually do. When they get fighting the Decepticons, it's better that we stand back."

"Where are Carlos and Rad?"

"They went with Laserbeak to see if they could locate the Minicon," Alexis said.

Rae didn't know who Laserbeak was, but followed the teenager up a small hill and stopped as Alexis pulled out a small GPS locating device that she had. "Okay," Alexis said, "According to my locator, the Minicon should be about a mile northwest of here."

"I don't know what a Minicon panel looks like..."

"They're green," Alexis said, "And if you've ever seen or played baseball, they're shaped like home plate and about the same size."

"Okay…so a green home plate."

"Right, let's go!"

The locator ended up leading them into a forest. Rae kept her guard up. She had no idea where they were or if they were even in the United States anymore. She was worried that a Decepticon would find them or some wild animal. She was less afraid of getting lost though, the Autobots and Decepticons would be headed this direction eventually. Rae concentrated more on getting through the forest. The underbrush was thick and difficult to walk through, but eventually they made it through.

On the other side of the forest, there was another meadow, except this one was littered with giant boulders. "There!" Alexis shouted while pointing, "Under that boulder, I can see the panel sticking out a little bit."

Rae didn't see anything though and instead followed Alexis over to the boulder. Sure enough there was a green panel sticking out from under the boulder. "Think we can pull it out?" Alexis asked.

Rae grasped the edges of the panel and tugged, but it didn't budge. "It's in there pretty good," she said, "At least we know where it is. We'll have to get the Autobots to move this rock."

An all too familiar black transformer suddenly appeared in front of them, chuckling menacingly as he said, "I knew you humans would lead me to the Minicon."

"Wheeljack," Rae breathed as she stood and faced him once again. She had no idea he had the ability to go invisible. If he could do that, there was no telling what else he could do.

"Long time no see human," he remarked as he leveled his gun at her once again, "I see the Autobots added you to their collection of pets."

She took a step back, pulling Alexis back with her. "You got any way of contacting the Autobots?" Rae asked her.

"N-No," Alexis answered.

"Are you going to try bargaining for your life again?" Wheeljack taunted, "Or are you going to spew more slag about how you ran away from—

"No _don't_ say it!" Rae yelled angrily, completely forgetting that she had told him that she had walked out on her boyfriend after discovering him in bed with another girl, "Kill me if you want, you know you're wasting your breath threatening and bullying us around when you can just take what you want and be done with it."

Wheeljack smiled, pushing the boulder back. He reached for the Minicon just as laser fire struck him in the back. He growled as he looked over his shoulder only to see Jetfire approaching him, his plasma blaster aimed directly at him.

"Step away from the humans or else you're _not_ going to like me," Jetfire said.

"Have it your way then," he remarked and went to reach for the Minicon only to realize that it wasn't there, "What?" He looked over at the humans only to see Rae holding the Minicon panel tightly in her arms. "No!" he shouted.

"Run along now," Jetfire teased, smiling behind his facemask.

Wheeljack growled before transforming into his vehicle form and speeding away. Jetfire made sure he was gone before he put his gun away and knelt down and extended his hand to Alexis and Rae. "Let's get back to the others," he said.

Rae and Alexis got onto his hand and he proceeded to stand and head back to the other Autobots. Alexis sighed heavily before remarking, "That was a close one."

"Remind me to never do this again," Rae responded.

"Come on," Jetfire said, "It couldn't have been that bad."

"If Wheeljack aims his gun at me one more time…" she trailed off as Jetfire gave a small chuckle.

"What was Wheeljack talking about anyway?" Alexis asked.

"What do you mean?" Rae remarked.

"You know, when he said 'how you ran away' and then you cut him off."

"I…I wasn't running away," she answered slowly as she felt the misery begin to creep out of her heart. She was quiet for a moment before she reluctantly continued. "I don't know how to make you understand."

"Well, what happened?" Alexis asked, "No matter how hard a story is to tell, it's always best to start from the beginning."

"I can't," Rae said, shaking her head as her voice nearly broke. She felt tears burning heavily in her eyes. She tried to blink them back. She took a deep, desperate breath as she tried to calm herself.

"Don't hold it in forever," Alexis observed softly, "Especially if it hurts you."

Rae looked away.

* * *

><p>When they arrived back to the base, Rae felt undeserving of all the congratulations she got for recovering the Minicon. She tried to maintain that all she had done was secure the panel while Wheeljack was distracted; it was something anyone of them could have done. However, she had a feeling that the Autobots were just working harder than what they had to in order to make her feel better. She knew they were kind enough to deserve the truth about what was bothering her and that she should let them help her, but admitting the truth out loud was too absolute for her. It would be confirmation of something she still didn't want to believe was real, and the longer she sealed the pain and misery inside of herself, the longer she could pretend that nothing was wrong, that nothing had changed, that she was as happy as she had been nearly a week ago when the world was still perfect.<p>

Back when the world wasn't upside down, shattered, spiraling out of control on a retrograde axis.

Rae went to excuse herself to go to her room and work on her homework when the Minicon panel that she had set aside suddenly began to glow. She had to shield her eyes until the light faded, but when she looked back, there was a small robot about her size standing in its place. She was startled when it began beeping frenetically before rushing at her and hugging her tightly, which caused the Autobots to laugh.

"Uh…" she managed to say, "Nice to, uh…meet you."

"**My name is Caliburst."**

She looked at the Minicon, surprised that she understood the beeping noises it made. "Caliburst?" she repeated.

"**Yes. Thank you for rescuing me."**

"Uh, no problem," she said.

"Looks like you got a new friend!" Carlos exclaimed excitedly.

"I guess having new friends doesn't hurt anyone," Rae mused before saying, "Wait a minute, what time is it?" She looked down at her phone and saw that it was nearly 8:30pm. "I need to get back to my homework!" And she ran out of the command center. Caliburst beeped curiously at her sudden outburst before going after her.

* * *

><p>Rae had just plopped herself down at her desk when the door opened and Caliburst walked in, leaving the door open behind him. She looked over at him surprised before shrugging it off and firing up her laptop. She opened her web browser only to have an advertisement pop up on the screen. The ad was of a motorcycle. Caliburst stared at the screen curiously before a beam shot out of his optics and he scanned the image.<p>

"Whoa!" Rae remarked as she leaned away from him in her chair, surprised at what he was doing. She watched as he proceeded to transform into the motorcycle. She looked at the image of the motorcycle on her screen and then back to Caliburst before saying, "A crotch-rocket, huh?"

"That's what you call sports motorcycles?" a voice asked from the door, "That sounds a little _kinky_ to me."

Rae looked over surprised to see Jetfire peeking in. She blushed before saying, "Um, yeah. Crotch-rockets and cruisers."

"Sounds like you know a bit about vehicles."

"I'm…friends with a mechanic," she said carefully, "I picked up some terminology from him. He taught me how to change the oil and brakes in a car."

"Well, if you know how to change oil you can change my oil any day," Jetfire remarked, then realized he probably shouldn't have said that when Rae gave a small smile.

"_That_ sounds a little kinky to me," she said.

He laughed, but after a few moments, he managed to compose himself and ask, "What's it take for a guy like me to get to know the _real_ Rae?"

She smiled again, a small blush surfacing on her cheeks as she looked towards her computer screen. "Well," she said, "It's not really anything you have to do."

"I'd like to know what's bothering you," he said.

"I'll tell you when the time is right," she replied.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Alright," he said, "I'll leave you to your homework then. Caliburst, come with me, I'll introduce you to the other Minicons."

Caliburst transformed back into his robot form and headed for the door when Rae asked, "Do you think…he could give me rides instead of Hotshot?"

"I don't see why not," Jetfire remarked, "Is that alright with you Caliburst?"

He beeped, **"Yes."**

"Alright then, catch you later Rae." He winked before leaving with Caliburst, the door closing behind the Minicon.

Rae sighed heavily and delved back into her homework. She figured she would be up late doing research and planning out a lesson plan, but that was okay with her. She didn't have to be up extremely early the next day.

Her phone vibrated on her desk.

Curious, Rae glanced over at her phone wondering who would've texted her. She prayed it was her mother and a broad smile went across her face as she quickly went to her inbox. Her smile suddenly disappeared and she felt her blood turn to ice inside her veins. There was one unread message, but not from her mother.

_Ra-Ra, baby, can we talk?_

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><p>Until the next chapter, please review!<p> 


	4. Self Destructive

Thank you everyone for reading this story and leaving reviews. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

* * *

><p><strong><span>4.<span>**

**Self-Destructive**

It wouldn't stop vibrating.

Rae lay on her bed, frozen in misery and fear, the lights out, the minutes on the clock slowly ticking away. She stared through the darkness, listening as her phone vibrated from her desk. He, her ex-boyfriend, the man she didn't have the strength to face, was calling. He was texting. He was _beyond_ determined to get her to speak to him. But she couldn't move to turn her phone off to silence the never ending vibrations. If she touched the phone, she was libel to read the texts he sent her, she was libel to answer the phone and listen to him talk.

She rolled over, her back to the desk as she closed her eyes and tried to force herself to fall asleep. _Don't think about anything_, she pleaded with herself. _Forget how to listen, concentrate on silence, don't think about anything._

But, she thought about how she had managed to finish her homework at 1:00am despite the fact her ex had been non-stop calling and texting her. She had placed the phone in a drawer in her desk, but she could still hear it vibrating long after she had gone to bed. Didn't he have to sleep? Wouldn't he grow tired of trying to reach her? Wouldn't he eventually realize that she wasn't going to answer? Wouldn't he _ever_ give up? His determination terrified her.

Rae wasn't able to focus on sleeping until around 3:30am, when the vibrations finally began to subside. She could close her eyes, she could relax, she could finally sleep. But her mind didn't stop thinking, not even after she fell asleep.

She dreamt of the man who broke her heart. She was at her college, sitting in her car. She saw Micah getting out of the car next to her. Her heart went out to him and she fumbled to get out of her car. The door was locked and she couldn't get it to unlock. "Micah!" she cried out in a desperate attempt to make him hear her. He didn't turn around as he began to walk away from her. Panicked, Rae managed to get the door to the car open and she fell out onto the pavement, feeling like she had spilled her body all over the place.

On her hands and knees she screamed again, "Micah!" He still didn't turn around. She tried to scramble to her feet, but her legs didn't work, she couldn't run after him and he was getting away. "Micah!" she cried again as loud as she possibly could, too afraid to watch him leave, too afraid to let him go. He turned and saw her, but he didn't he come running to help her back up on her feet. He didn't come running to save her. He looked at her for a moment before turning and walking away.

Rae awoke with a gasp when her alarm went off at 9:00 the next morning. She sat up and shut off the screaming mechanical monster that was perched by her bedside before glancing around the room, trying to grasp what was going on. As she hugged her knees to her chest, it occurred to her that she had just woken up, that nothing had changed, that her heart felt worse than ever.

She didn't care as she tumbled out of her bed and went over to her desk where she sat and yanked open the drawer where she had concealed her phone. She had 36 missed calls from Micah. She had about five unread texts from him.

_I just want to talk Rae.  
>I'm sorry, baby.<br>Talk to me, please.  
>I messed up, but please let me talk to you.<br>I miss you, Ra-Ra._

Without thinking, she dialed a number. She couldn't control herself anymore, there was no more abstaining from spilling her heart out to a person she loved. She waited as the phone rang before someone on the other end picked up. "Hello?"

"Mom," she said, trying to maintain her composure, but saying that one word made her break down. She couldn't hold back the anguished sobs any longer. "Mom," she breathed, feeling like she would die.

"Oh Rae," her mother said, "Baby, what's wrong?"

Rae had to let out a few more sobs before she could finally say, "I left Micah."

"Oh honey," her mother cooed, "What happened?"

"I caught him in bed with another woman about a week ago," Rae confessed in a sob, "So I left and I haven't gone back, but last night he started texting and calling me and—

"Deep breaths, honey. Slow down, I promise you everything is going to be okay."

"It doesn't feel like that mom. I hurt everywhere, I feel like I have a giant hole in my chest—

"Listen to me Rae, broken hearts take a long time to heal, they don't heal overnight. It's going to be months, maybe years before you feel like your old self again."

"Old self," Rae repeated angrily, "I didn't know myself until I met Micah."

"I _promise_ you that you're not always going to feel like this. Where are you staying?"

"With friends."

"Are you still working and going to school?"

"Yes."

"You're going to meet someone better, Rae. Have you talked to Micah at all?"

"No."

"Good, try to keep from talking to him until you are ready. I know that at some point you're going to want closure, but right now is not the time to be getting it, okay? And don't go looking to other men to fix your broken heart either. You don't want a rebound relationship because you'll only end up hurting the other guy. Despite what terrible creatures men are, we still have to remember they are human beings too."

"Mom, I don't want to start all over with someone else. Micah, he was perfect for me…I'll never love another man like I loved him—

"Give it time, dear. That's all you can do. Don't think about having to begin again. Just concentrate on finding something that makes you happy again that doesn't involve dating."

"Mom, I want to stop hurting," she cried.

"Rae, you know if I could take your pain away then I would. If you want to come home then my door is always open—

"No," Rae said.

Her mother sighed before saying, "Baby, try to remember that no matter how hard you think you have it and no matter how terrible you feel, there's always somebody out there that has it worse that you do. There's somebody out there that feels worse, but the world hasn't stopped for any of us, no matter how broken our heart is. You have to keep going, you have to find the strength to keep pushing through, you have to keep smiling and laughing even if it hurts."

Rae knew that the world didn't stop turning for a broken heart. She had known that despite the fact that she had never had her heart broken like this until now.

"Are you going to be okay, sweetheart?"

"I'll try to be," Rae said, managing to wipe away a few tears.

"Give me a call if you need to, you know I'm always available for you."

"Thanks mom. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetie. Things will get better, I promise."

"Thanks," she said again.

"And Rae…"

"Yeah mom?"

"If you need to, get your phone number changed so that Micah can't get a hold of you anymore."

"Okay mom," Rae said, but she didn't want to change her phone number. It was too much. She still couldn't fathom losing Micah from her life permanently.

"I'll talk to you later, sweetheart."

"Bye mom," Rae replied as she hung up. She sighed heavily and set her phone down as she wiped away the remaining tears. She took a deep breath, trying to squish away the anxious feelings that were welling up inside her stomach. She knew that it might take a million more deep breaths, a million more tears, and a million more sleepless nights in order to make it through this heartbreak, but she was determined to do it. She would do as her mother said; she would keep laughing and keep smiling even if it hurt more than anything in the world. The world hadn't stopped because her heart was broken, so neither could she.

Putting on the best brave face she possibly could, she grabbed some clothes and went inside the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day.

* * *

><p>Jetfire couldn't figure Rae out.<p>

There was that terrifying look in her eyes. There were her random outbursts of tears. She slept with a guy she didn't even know because she had nowhere else to go, and the very thought of that angered him so much he drove his fist into the wall. He knew with every single fiber of his being that no one should ever feel that helpless.

He sat in his quarters, contemplating what possibly could be bothering Rae and just what he could to do to make her happy again. According to Hotshot, there was a guy named Micah involved. There was another female. Wheeljack _also_ apparently knew way more than what he did. But none of that explained why Rae didn't have a place to live. None of that explained the look in her eyes, none of that explained why she was so depressed.

Somehow he had to get her to open up to him, to trust him enough to talk to him. Saving her life from Wheeljack _twice_ had not been enough. He would have to try a different approach since no matter how much he helped her, Jetfire knew none of that would be enough. He sighed heavily. He wished that he could stop worrying about her; he wished that he could get her off his mind; he wished he didn't want to know what was upsetting her.

If he had never met her, then…

Jetfire shook his head. He knew that was a terribly selfish and mean thing to think. There must have been a reason that they met, there must have been some sort of lesson to be learned somewhere. Optimus must've apparently seen it if he had assigned him to be Rae's guardian. There was just _something_ about her that compelled him to get closer to her, something other than just wanting to know what was wrong with her.

There was something about her that he wanted to rescue…

* * *

><p>After her shower, Rae listened to every voicemail Micah left for her. Tears streamed down her face as she listened to him apologize over and over again, he begged for forgiveness, he pleaded for her to come home, he told her much he missed her and loved her still, Rae had to set the phone down as she felt her heart break all over again. She felt like throwing up, she felt like throwing herself at Micah and never letting him go, she felt like shooting him at the same time.<p>

There was a knock at the door.

Surprised, Rae let out a small gasp before she quickly tried to compose herself. She ran in the bathroom and checked herself in the mirror. It was quite obvious that she had been crying. She desperately dried her face and tried to convince herself not to throw up as she went over to the door and answered it, only to see that Jetfire was there once again. He noticed that she was wiping her eyes and paused for a moment before saying, "Looks like I came at a bad time. Is everything alright?"

"I wish I could lie and say yes," Rae replied, looking away from him, "I was up half of the night because my phone kept going off, but I didn't want to turn it off. Then I had a bad dream. Where's Caliburst?"

Jetfire blinked. "I do believe that's the most you've ever said at once," he said, "And Caliburst should be on his way here to pick you up and take you to school."

"Okay," she stated, looking back to him. She hesitated before saying, "I'm normally not out of my mind like this."

Jetfire hid a smile behind his facemask, feeling relieved that she was actually talking without being forced to. Maybe Optimus was right, maybe all she needed was a friend. But something still seemed to go deeper than that. "It's alright," he said, "We all go through rough times."

She gave him a condescending look that almost seemed to say that he couldn't possibly know what she was going through. However, the look quickly disappeared as she said, "Yeah, I've got some complicated issues that I need to figure out."

"You know," Jetfire said, sensing her change in attitude, "If you're up to it later, you should let me take you out."

"Out?"

"Yes," he said, wishing he could roll his optics, "Out."

"Where to?"

"Just to a place outside of the base that I think you'll like."

Rae looked him over before saying, "Alright. I could use the change in scenery."

"Really?" he asked, surprised that she agreed.

She nodded before saying, "Really."

"Alright then," Jetfire said, "I'll stop by here later."

"Okay, see you later then," she replied. She watched as he got up and walked away. She wasn't sure what it was about Jetfire, but she always felt better when he was around. Perhaps it was because he had saved her life. Perhaps it was because he was the only one that was trying to help her feel better.

* * *

><p>It was around 8:30 that evening when Jetfire returned to Rae's room. Rae was ready though as he took her and lifted her onto his shoulder. He brought her outside the base and walked a small distance from the entrance before sitting down on a large rock face. As the Autobot set her down, Rae couldn't help but be blown away by the view that was before them. She felt like she could see all the way across the state of Nebraska, past her problems, past the misery that was gnawing at her soul.<p>

"You mentioned something about liking to watch the sunset," Jetfire said.

She smiled as she glanced over at him before returning her gaze to the western horizon where then sun was sinking. "Yeah," she said, "I did."

He glanced down at her before asking, "So how was school?"

"Pointless," she said while waving her hand dismissively, "I don't learn anything by sitting in a classroom reading the textbooks the teachers wrote themselves and force us to read."

He smiled before asking, "How old are you again?"

"I'm 20," she replied, "I'm the age where people are telling me that I'm not a kid anymore and I need to start listening to them if I'm going to get anywhere in life."

"Oh, _those_ years," Jetfire mused.

"They're exhilarating," she said without any enthusiasm, causing the Autobot second in command to chuckle. "I broke a law once," she confessed.

"Oh really?"

"I was charged with a misdemeanor; I ended up having to do ten hours of community service."

"What did you do?"

"It was for trespassing. There's this lookout tower not too far outside of my town back home. We had just graduated high school and my friends and I thought it would be perfectly fine to climb to the top of the lookout tower. The gate wasn't locked, so we went in…needless to say the cop that was patrolling the area noticed the gate was open and caught us. It was worth it though."

Jetfire shook his head, smiling. He was grateful that Rae was opening up to him and letting him get to know her. He decided that he would try and press his luck and see if he could get her to delve a little further into her life. "Where were you living before you met us?" he asked. He watched as she looked away from the sunset and down at the ground. He knew he had struck a nerve. He didn't expect her to answer and was just about to tell her to never mind the question when she opened her mouth to speak.

"I was living in an apartment with a roommate," she said slowly, "We got into a fight and I left."

"What was the fight about?"

"You're asking too many questions," she replied.

"Well, how come you won't tell anybody what's going on?" he persisted, "Why don't you want anyone to help you?"

"It's my burden to bear alone!" she yelled, venom in her voice and fire in her eyes, "Do you really _want_ me to share my pain with you? Do you want a hole ripped through your chest too?"

Jetfire didn't know why he didn't guess it before, but now it was so painfully obvious that she had a broken heart. "Rae," he breathed.

"This is _my_ life, Jetfire," she said as a sob threatened to break free from her throat, "All my dreams are gone. I understand that you want to help but there is _nothing_ that you can do. I have to get through this on my own." And with that, she ran back into the base.

Jetfire sighed heavily as he angrily turned his gaze back towards the sunset. He waited a few minutes before getting up and returning to the base himself.

* * *

><p>Optimus was slightly surprised when Jetfire suddenly burst into his office, clearly upset over something. He looked his deputy commander over before asking, "What's going on, Jetfire?"<p>

"I do not want to be Rae's _keeper_ anymore," the Autobot second in command replied.

"What happened?"

"I've gone out of my way to help her and just when I think I've gained her trust, what does she do? She flips out on _me_! If that's the respect I'm going to get for trying to _help_ her—

"Calm down, Jetfire. Think about what she's going through."

"Sir, I have _no idea_ what she's going through. She _won't_ tell me."

"There's probably a reason for that."

Jetfire sighed heavily, releasing some of his anger before saying, "She said she doesn't want to share her pain with anyone. She's got a broken heart, but I don't know why."

"Tell me, if you were suffering, and if everyone else around you was happy, would you want to bother them with what was troubling you in fear of destroying their happiness?"

"I guess not," he said, relenting.

"Nobody wants to look weak to someone else," Optimus said, "You saved Rae's life on more than one occasion. To her, you're going to be too genuine of a person. She's not going to want to tell you anything because she isn't going to think its fair to you."

"So why are you making me try?"

"I'm not making you try to find out what's wrong. I simply asked you to be her guardian and to be her friend, to help her out when she needed it. When she's ready to talk to you, she will. Don't try to force anything. She needs time to see that you're there for her."

"You should be doing this, not me," Jetfire said.

"Well, you need to learn how should you ever have to take command of the Autobots one day."

"Yeah, well, if you ever die Optimus, I'm going to kill you."

Optimus laughed before saying, "You can't kill me if I'm already dead."

"I'll figure out a way," Jetfire said before he left Optimus' office.

* * *

><p>Rae went back to her room and sat at her desk, sobbing. She had locked the door and she wasn't going to answer it for anyone in the world. She hadn't wanted to yell at Jetfire, but when he didn't stop asking questions, her body reacted before she could. On top of all the heartbreak, misery, helplessness, agony, and confusion, she was now bitterly angry.<p>

She had lost _everything_. It had all happened in less than five minutes. If she hadn't ended her shift at work early and come home, she would still be back home with Micah, the man she still loved even though she desperately didn't want to anymore.

Blindly, she picked up a glass paperweight that was sitting on her desk and flung it across the room. She listened as it shattered against the far wall, just like her heart had. She threw paper, she threw pens and pencils, she threw books and folders, she threw whatever her hands could find until she finally didn't have the energy to throw anything else. She sat down in a heap on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest as she cried.

She didn't care how selfish she was as she begged the world to stop for her. She begged for it to stop rotating on its tilted axis and wait until she felt like she could at least breathe again without it hurting. "What did I do?" she pleaded to the silence of the room, "What did I do to make him hate me? What did I do to him to make him feel the need to hurt me like _this_?"

She waited, angrily and bitterly, for her tears to stop. She comforted herself by thinking of ways to drown her pain away. She thought about getting piercings and tattoos, knowing the pain of those would distract her from the pain in her heart. She shook her head, trying to get some kind of rationality to enter her mind. She couldn't let self-destructive thoughts plague her mind and take her over. But her will was weak and her pain was strong. Rae picked up her phone and dialed a friend.

"Hello?" said a male voice.

"Hey Shawn."

"Hey Rae, what's up?"

"Are you busy?" she asked.

"No, you want something hun?"

"If I met you at the liquor store and gave you some money, would you buy me some beer?" she asked.

"Sure thing," he said, "But, why don't you have Micah pick you up some beer like he usually does?"

"I left him."

"Oh," Shawn said, "I'll be sure to get you some hard stuff then. Meet you there in half an hour?"

"Okay," Rae said, "Thanks."

"No problem."

She listened as he hung up before she went off to find Caliburst.

* * *

><p>"Here you go," Shawn said as he handed her a 12 pack of Bud Light Platinum, "Don't drink too much. I know you're a lightweight when it comes to this stuff. If you die of alcohol poisoning, I'll kill you."<p>

She smirked as she strapped the beer down to Caliburst. "Don't worry," she said as she paid him the money that she owed him for the beer.

"If you want, you can come back to my place to drink. I'll be able to keep an eye on you so that you don't do anything stupid."

"I'm not drinking alone," Rae said, though it was a lie. She proceeded to thank him before getting on Caliburst and riding away.

* * *

><p>When the taste of the beer bit her tongue, it was relieving.<p>

Rae hated beer. She hated the way it tasted, she hated the way it smelled, but tonight, it was her best friend. She planned on drinking to the point where she couldn't feel the pain, to the point where she couldn't tell the difference between reality and illusion, to the point where she could sleep soundly without being haunted by painful dreams.

She drank one, then another, and another, and then threw up everything she had in her stomach. That didn't stop her from drinking a fourth and then a fifth before throwing up again. As she was retching, she heard a faint knock on the door. She didn't answer it though as she flushed the toilet and stumbled in a drunken stupor over to her bed. Maybe whoever was at the door would believe she was asleep.

"Go…away…I'm sssleeping," she slurred.

"Come on Rae, Caliburst said you went into town and someone bought you alcohol. I've looked up what alcohol does to the human body, and I also know that it's illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to consume alcohol, open the door."

She recognized the voice as Jetfire's. She felt anger grip her heart once again as she managed to crawl out of the bed and make her way over to the door, tripping and stumbling along the way. She fumbled with the door before she finally managed to get it to open. She looked up at Jetfire before saying, "What are you…going to do, take it…away from me? I'm already drunk."

He glared at her before asking, "What is your limit?"

"Two beersss."

"How many did you drink?"

"Five and maybe ssssixxx."

He sighed heavily before saying, "Caliburst, stay with her tonight. Make sure she goes to sleep and doesn't drink anymore."

The Minicon appeared from behind the Autobot second in command and approached Rae. "Cool, we're having a sssslumber party," she remarked.

Jetfire waited until the door closed before he got up and walked away. He sighed heavily, knowing that this couldn't keep happening. Rae was becoming a danger to herself. He knew he had to figure out what was wrong before she really did hurt herself, or worse…

He wasn't ready to give up on her yet.

* * *

><p>The next chapter I feel will be long, but we'll see. Until then, please review!<p> 


	5. Physical Altercation

Well, as I suspected, this chapter was quite long. Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing though, I really appreciate it. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

><p><strong><span>5.<span>**

**Physical Altercation**

She woke up to the feeling of someone running their fingers through her hair.

For a moment, Rae didn't open her eyes. It felt like she was back home with her mother. Whenever she wasn't feeling well or had a headache, her mother would play with her hair. It always made her feel better. However, because of the painful ache in her chest, she remembered she was still very far from home. Rae let her eyes flutter open. Caliburst was sitting beside her on the bed, stroking his mechanical digits through her strewn about light brown locks of hair.

"**Feeling better?"**he asked.

Rae immediately felt guilty. She had spent the majority of the night throwing up all the alcohol that she had consumed. However, since she didn't have any alcohol left in her system, it saved her from suffering through a hangover. Instead, she just had a headache from not sleeping well.

She sat up as she looked around her room. Everything was picked up and its proper place. "Caliburst," she remarked hoarsely, "Did you clean up in here?"

"**I figured I would save you the trouble of having to do so."**

"You didn't have to," she replied, feeling terribly guilty.

He shook his head. **"Why are you sad, Rae?"**

She looked at him briefly before getting out of her bed and going over to her dresser in an attempt to find an outfit for the day. "There are a lot of reasons why I'm sad," she said as she rummaged around for a pair of jeans.

"**Who is Micah?"**

She turned to the Minicon, panic in her eyes. "Who told you about him?" she asked.

"**You said his name while you were sleeping. You wanted him to save you."**

"He's just somebody that I used to know."

Caliburst watched her for a few more moments, but before she stepped into the shower he said, **"You should try talking to Hotshot, he knows what it's like to lose a best friend."**

Rae paused in the doorway to the bathroom before glancing back at the Minicon and then proceeding inside and closing the door behind her.

Caliburst knew.

* * *

><p>After her classes that day, Rae made it her mission to track down the infamous yellow Autobot. It was the least she could do for Caliburst after he had stayed up all night to make sure she was alright, as well as cleaned her room and taken her to classes and back that day. When they got back, the Minicon went to get some rest while Rae wandered to the command center of the Autobot base. When she walked in, Hotshot was in there as she had suspected. Optimus and Jetfire were there as well as other Autobots that Rae couldn't exactly remember.<p>

Since he didn't look too busy, Rae went to up him. Hotshot noticed her immediately and smiled before greeting her. "Hey Rae," he said, "What's up?"

"Can I talk to you?" she asked.

"Sure," he said.

"Alone?"

Hotshot glanced back at Optimus and Jetfire who hadn't noticed them before saying, "Alright."

Rae walked with him outside of the command center, and when they were out of hearing range, they stopped walking. Hotshot observed the human in front of him before asking, "So, what's going on?"

Rae shrugged before saying, "Caliburst said I should talk to you since you know what it's like losing a best friend."

A solemn look went across Hotshot's face before he said, "Yes, I do. Wheeljack and I used to be in the same platoon back on Cybertron."

"Can I ask what happened?"

"There was a fire. Wheeljack got trapped under some debris and I couldn't get it off him so that we could escape. He didn't want me to leave him, but I had to go get help. I told him I would come back for him, but when I found my platoon leader, he wouldn't let me go back in to rescue him. He threatened to court martial me if I went in. Up until recently I thought he perished in the fire, but he hadn't. Megatron had rescued him and he came back and tried to kill me, which he almost did. He shot me point blank in the chest, but he missed my spark. He tried to kill Sideswipe…he even tried to kill you."

In a sense, that was what Micah had done to her. By cheating, he fired the gun that killed their relationship. Except, he hadn't missed his target, and the broken pieces of Rae's heart hadn't been spared. She felt dead, but she was still very much alive. "How did you go on?" Rae asked, her throat feeling like it was swelling.

"I think of all the friends I have now, how any of them would be willing to lay their life down for me," Hotshot explained, "I know Wheeljack betrayed me, I know he almost killed me, but that was what he chose. I choose to be strong enough not to let it bring me down."

Rae immediately felt selfish. She felt like she was harboring her pain so that she would have an excuse to suffer, so that she would have a reason for people to feel bad for her. Where was her strength to pick up the pieces and move on? "Would you ever forgive him?" she asked.

He sighed heavily, "Maybe someday. I'm still mad at him and I'm going to be angry with him for a long time, but maybe someday I'll wake up and be able to put my anger aside. It's what the better person would do, forgive and move on, but I'm not ready for that yet."

"I see…"

Hotshot observed her for a moment before asking, "I take it you lost a best friend?"

"It's why I've been bummed out ever since I got here," she said, "But the circumstances were a lot different."

"You know Jetfire has been driving himself mad trying to figure out what's been bringing you down, he cares a lot about you, you know, even if he won't admit it."

"Yeah, I know. But I think he's mad at me, I haven't spoken to him at all today and he usually stops by my room in the morning, but he didn't this morning."

"Do you want to see him?"

She nodded, "There are some things I would like to tell him."

"I'll let him know."

"Thanks," she replied, "For everything."

"It's not a problem," he said, "I should get back to the command center before the others notice I'm missing."

She nodded and watched him as he bade his goodbyes before turning and walking away. When he was gone, Rae turned and headed back to her room. She would start her homework, but she didn't plan on doing too much of it. It was Friday night; maybe she would make other plans. But, she didn't want to rush into too many things, not when she felt like she could breathe again.

For the first time in a week, she finally felt _better_.

* * *

><p>Jetfire hadn't even finished knocking on Rae's door when she answered it, a smile appearing on her face when she saw him. "It's about time you got here," she said.<p>

Jetfire couldn't help but smile, even though it was hidden behind his facemask. He dared to believe that she was actually happy. "Optimus just dismissed me," he said, "But, I heard you wanted to see me?"

"Yes," she replied as she stepped out of the room, "I want to apologize for my behavior last night. That's not who I am, I've just been hurting a lot."

"Well, apology accepted," he remarked, "I just don't want to see you get hurt. Optimus left me in charge of you for a reason."

"Did Hotshot say anything to you?" she asked.

"He told me that you had a talk with him, but he didn't say much else."

"Did Caliburst talk to you?"

"He mentioned that you had a rough night," Jetfire replied, and it was the truth. He hoped that Rae would delve a little further into the layers of her life and that their conversation wouldn't die right here.

"Have you ever lost anyone close to you?"

"I've lost a lot of friends because of the war, I've had to give up a lot of things," he said.

"Were you ever betrayed by anyone?"

"Not anyone that I knew personally," he confessed, "But watching my friends die doesn't feel much better."

And with a blush she asked, "Is possible for you guys to fall in love?" If he had ever fallen in love, then maybe he could understand her.

The Autobot second in command was taken aback by the question. "Yes, it's possible," he answered slowly, "I can't say I ever have though."

"I'm going to go out with my friends tonight," she said suddenly, completely changing the topic.

Jetfire nodded, "It'd probably be good to spend some time with your friends."

"I guess," she replied.

"Don't accept any offers from men that are only looking to get in your pants," he said sternly.

She smiled, "Trust me, I won't. But I'm going to go get ready."

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow," he said before he got up and walked away.

Rae watched him go before she disappeared back inside her room to get ready to go out.

* * *

><p>Rae met her friends, Jenna and Michelle, at a nightclub at 10:30 that night, as they had planned. She felt guilty waking Caliburst up to take her, but the Minicon had said it was alright and that he would sleep in his vehicle form while she was inside.<p>

Nervously, Rae walked up to her friends. Jenna was wearing a nice light pink blouse with a black miniskirt and overly sparkly earrings. Her auburn hair was down and pulled back behind one ear. Michelle was wearing jeans and a nice blouse. Her black hair was down as well. "Hey Rae!" Jenna said greeting her, "Where's Micah, did he not want to come?"

"I left him," she admitted, quietly.

"Oh no!" Michelle remarked and hugged her, "What happened? Is that why you needed a place to stay last weekend?"

"Yeah," she replied as he returned the awkward embrace, "It's alright, I found a place."

"Well, regardless of what happened, let's go inside and have some fun. We'll find someone new for you."

Rae didn't want to do that though; really she wanted to sit up all night long, overindulging on ice cream and popcorn while watching cheesy movies with her friends. But this was what her friends liked to do. Hesitantly, she followed them into the club. They immediately went to the dance floor, Jenna cheering as her body began to sway in time with the music. Michelle joined her, the two laughing and joking as Rae tried to be happy with them, however, she only felt envious of her friends.

Jenna had been single the last three years after going through her own heartbreak. Rae was jealous of her carefree attitude, the attention that she attracted from men, her ability to pick of the pieces and move on. Michelle on the other hand had never been in a serious relationship. She didn't truly understand the depths of a broken heart.

After about an hour of mingling on the dance floor, they went over to the bar where they ordered sodas since they were all too young to order any kind of alcoholic beverage. "So what happened between you and Micah?" Michelle asked as she sipped at her soda.

"I caught him in bed with another woman," Rae said.

Jenna shook her head, "Have you talked to him since then?"

"No."

"Maybe you should," Jenna suggested, "Erik cut off complete communication with me and I never got closure."

"I'm not ready to talk to him yet," Rae said.

"Well, talk to him when you're ready. I know you can do much better than him," Jenna said.

"Any idea what you did to make him cheat?" Michelle asked.

"Excuse me?" Rae questioned, surprised that her friend had asked _that_.

"Well, you know," Michelle said as she poked at the straw in her glass, "Guys don't cheat for any old reason."

"Were you talking to other guys? Did you try to control him too much?" Jenna asked, "You've always been terrible at saying no to people."

Rae looked away from her friends feeling like she was going to cry. "I…I think I'm going to go," she said, feeling like she had swallowed her own tongue.

Michelle and Jenna exchanged glances before Michelle said, "You don't have to go. You shouldn't be alone right now."

Rae shook her head knowing that this had been a bad idea. "No, it's alright. I should probably call my mother anyway."

Jenna shrugged, "Well, see you around I guess. I hope everything turns out well."

Rae could barely say thank you as she walked away. However, she didn't return to Caliburst immediately. She sat on the curb outside of the nightclub, ignoring people as they casually strolled in and out, not one of them paying any mind to her. She felt alone in the company of so many strangers.

_Why,_ she asked herself, _why, why, why are my friends taking his side?_

Her world seemed to be spinning out of control. Part of her ached to spill her heart out to her friends, but the majority of her wanted to go see Micah, and she didn't know why. She missed him terribly, she loved him madly, she wanted to know if she was still the only one he cared about, the only one that he would ever care about. She wondered if he was hurting, too. She wondered if he couldn't sleep at night because he was having dreams where he couldn't get her attention. She wondered if he cried in the shower at her memory. She wondered if he had told his friends and if his friends had sided with her. She wondered if he missed her just as much as she missed him…

Rae sucked in a heavy breath as she got up from the curb. She knew where she wanted to go.

* * *

><p>"<strong>Rae?"<strong> Caliburst asked as Rae suddenly climbed on him, waking him up. He checked the time on his internal clock only to see she had left the nightclub much sooner than what he had expected.

"I don't want to be here anymore," she said.

"**Is everything alright?"** the concerned Minicon couldn't help but ask.

"Can we…go somewhere else?"

"**Where would you like to go?"**

Numbly, she gave Caliburst an address.

"**Are you alright?"**the Minicon asked again as he pulled away from the nightclub and headed towards the address Rae had given him. To him at least, her voice sounded distant, like her body was here, but her mind and heart were somewhere else and more than likely, they were at the address she had given him.

"I'm fine," she lied, but she didn't care that she had lied. In her mind she believed that this visit would make her feel better.

Caliburst decided to trust her as he drove for about 20 minutes across town until he finally reached the destination Rae had given him. **"What is this place?"** he asked as Rae got off him and proceeded to take off her helmet.

"This is where I used to live," she answered, "There's a friend of mine I wish to speak to."

"**When can I expect you back?"**

"Maybe an hour or two, I'll try not to keep you waiting too long," she replied before turning and entering the apartment complex.

As she walked up the stairs to the apartment she used to share with her ex, Rae began to tremble with fear and excitement. She was overrun by emotion, so much so that she couldn't think straight. When she reached the door, she didn't question herself when she knocked. She didn't stop herself from greeting the man that had broken her heart. And when he asked if she would come inside, Rae didn't decline. She walked inside and listened as he shut the door before he turned to her. From what she could tell, he looked relieved and happy that she came. She watched him as he fumbled with a pack of cigarettes before he pulled one out of the box. He lit it up and inhaled the smoke before looking to Rae and asking, "You want one?"

"When did you start smoking again?"

"When you left. Do you want a beer or anything else that will impair you so that you can't leave me again?"

"Micah," she said sternly, "You cheated."

"I know babe…I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't fix anything."

"You didn't come here to talk did you?" he asked as he tapped his cigarette over the ashtray.

She shook her head before saying, "I think I'll take one of those cigarettes now."

Micah handed one to her and she lit it up as he asked, "So why did you come here?"

She longed to tell him how much she missed him, she longed to tell him how much she still loved him, but she couldn't bring herself to answer him. She enjoyed the feeling of the smoke as it burned inside of her lungs.

He watched her as she smoked her cigarette, but she didn't answer him. He waited until she finished and had smothered the butt in the ashtray. She peered at him through the smoke.

Rae felt him move closer and an angry, excited fire ignited in her heart when he reached her and took her in his arms. He kissed her and Rae accepted it, wanting to cry at the happiness she felt from the familiar taste of his lips. She unwillingly melted against him, all agony and misery she had felt by discovering him sleeping with another woman suddenly gone.

_He's still mine,_ she told herself, _he hasn't forgotten, he still loves me._

All her life, this was where she was supposed to be. His fingertips fumbled with her clothing. She felt her naked flesh rub against his. He broke the kiss even though they were both hungry for more and led her into the bedroom, but when Rae's eyes landed on the bed, she felt her heart suddenly rise into her throat.

_What am I doing?_ Her mind was screaming at her to get out of there, her heart was lurching in sheer agony at the thought that the one she loved the most betrayed her in that bed.

"You coming?" he asked.

She was completely unaware that she had stopped walking. "No," she said, though it felt like she had swallowed her own tongue.

"Come on," he said, "You're already naked."

She turned to leave but he grabbed her by the arm. "Come on Rae," he said, his voice slightly menacing, "What was the real reason you came here? Did you just want to hurt me some more?"

"Do you have any idea how much you hurt me?" she demanded, but she couldn't make her voice go any louder than a whisper.

"I won't let you leave me again," he said and he went over to the door and shut it.

"Micah…" Rae breathed as fear began to gnaw at her, "You can't keep me here against my will…what's gotten into you?"

"I _love_ you," he said as he forced her onto the bed, "Let me show you, Rae, _please_."

"No!" she cried, "Micah, no!"

"No, don't fight me babe, don't fight me. I know you came here because you still love me. Tell me you love me."

"Okay," she said, tears in her eyes, "I love you, but Micah I don't want—

He pressed his lips against hers before she could finish the sentence. When she realized that he wasn't going to stop, Rae tried desperately to crawl into the darkest part of her soul and forget the only reason she came was to see if he still loved her and to feel loved again.

* * *

><p>Caliburst was extremely concerned when he arrived back to the base with Rae. She had come out from the apartment like she said she would within an hour or two. However, she didn't say a word to him. He brought her back to the base since she hadn't asked to go anywhere else. He observed her for a moment longer before he transformed into his robot form and asked, <strong>"Would you like me to walk you back to your room?"<strong>

Still she didn't say anything. Her face was extremely pale, she looked terrified, in disbelief, shocked, ready to burst into tears at any second, yet she seemed too lost to do that. **"Rae,"** the Minicon said, **"What's wrong? You haven't said a word since you came out of that apartment. Did your friend do something to you?"**

She looked at him, her eyes wide with fear, panic, and misery. "It was my fault," she whispered flatly.

"**What happened?"**

"Nothing," she said harshly as she seemed to come to a little, "I shouldn't have gone is all." A few tears then escaped from her eyes, "_Everything _is my fault."

"**Rae…"** Caliburst remarked and reached out to comfort her.

"No, don't!" Rae responded as she moved away from him.

Caliburst felt his spark go out to her as she ran off in the direction of her room.

* * *

><p>The Minicon was nervous when he reported to Jetfire the next morning. He knew that he would ask how Rae's night out went, but he didn't want to be the bearer of bad news. Unfortunately, Jetfire cut right to the chase.<p>

"Morning Caliburst," he exclaimed as the Minicon entered the room, "How did things go with Rae last night?"

"**That isn't a good question to be asking,"** Caliburst replied.

"Uh-oh," Jetfire remarked, "What did Ra-Ra do _this_ time?"

"**She only stayed with her friends at the nightclub for a couple hours,"** Caliburst explained.

"Well, at least she hung out with them for a little bit. I thought for sure hanging out with her friends would cheer her up—

"**She had me take her to the apartment she used to live in."**

"What?"

"**She said she wanted to speak to a friend of hers."**

"Her roommate?" Jetfire questioned.

"**She didn't specify,"** Caliburst explained, **"She was there for about an hour and a half, but when she came back out, she looked as if she were scared to death and trying to get away from someone. She wouldn't say a word to me until we got back here. But, when she did talk, she said she never should have gone and that everything was her fault. She then went back to her room in tears."**

"Did she give any idea as to what might've happened?"

"**No,"** Caliburst said, **"When I asked her if anything had happened, she got very defensive and said nothing had happened."**

Jetfire angrily set aside his datapad before saying, "Something happened, and I'm going to find out what."

"Are you mad?"

"I'm mad because Rae keeps getting herself hurt," he said, and with that, he left the room.

When he got to Rae's room, he knelt down and knocked on the door impatiently, waiting for her to answer. "Come on Rae, open up," he said.

He waited but he didn't get a reply. He sighed, frustrated. "Caliburst said some things happened last night, I want to know what's up," he persisted, but still didn't get a response. Fed up, he opened the door himself, but Rae was nowhere to be found.

"Slag…"

* * *

><p>When Rae awoke screaming from nightmares of Micah coming after her and torturing her more, she got dressed and bolted from the base. However, she hadn't gone very far as she stopped at the rock face Jetfire had brought her to in order to watch the sunset, but she had ended up leaving before the sun ever went down. She stopped here this time because her own sobbing prevented her from going any further.<p>

She didn't know what it was that had made her break down and go back to Micah. She didn't know what it was inside of her that made her so weak. She had known that when Micah was scared, when he was confused, when he was sad or angry, he was libel to do anything. Rae knew that she had been playing with fire by going back to the apartment. But it went so much farther out of hand than what she had thought it would. She had gone there in an attempt to feel loved again, but she only had ended up getting hurt again, betrayed again, violated again. And according to her friends, according to her actions, everything was her fault.

Furious, she grabbed a rock and hurled it at the sky with all her might. "What did I do?" she screamed so loudly it burned her lungs, "What did I do to deserve this?"

But she didn't get an answer. Instead, she curled herself into a ball and cried.

* * *

><p>Jetfire was relieved when he finally found Rae later that evening in the last place he had expected her to be. "There you are!" he exclaimed as he went over to her, "I've been looking for you all day."<p>

"Well, congratulations," she remarked unenthusiastically, "You found me."

He tried to ignore her tone as he sat down beside her. "What's going on, Rae?"

She looked towards the horizon where the sun was setting. She was silent a few moments before asking, "Have you ever felt lost and completely alone?"

Jetfire suddenly remembered her eyes. He remembered that look that frightened him, that made him worry, the look that gave him a feeling that something was absolutely and terribly wrong. He remembered how she came back to the base in tears after staying away for the weekend. He bore witness to her pain, to her suffering. He remembered when she confessed how she shared a complete stranger's bed. His spark and the rest of his insides seemed to wrench inside of him.

"There have been times where I've thought about giving up," he said, "But that's when you have to find something to keep fighting for."

"What if there's nothing? What if everyone has turned against you?"

"Rae, there is _something_, there is _someone_."

"Who?" she demanded bitterly.

"Me."

She looked to him, her angry expression immediately softening. "I think about myself too much, don't I?" she said softly.

"I think you've been trying to cope with something by yourself that you don't really know how to cope with," Jetfire said, "I worry a lot about you, you know. Caliburst said something happened last night—

"I was an idiot last night."

"He said you went back to your apartment, did you try to make amends with your roommate?"

"Something like that," Rae said, but she didn't want to relive the memory.

"Just who is this roommate of yours?" Jetfire asked, "I can't imagine she's _that _terrible."

"_He_ is."

"Wait…your roommate is a man?"

"Micah," she said, "He's a mechanic and formerly a good friend of mine."

To Jetfire, things were now beginning to make sense. He felt like he was finally getting to the bottom of things as he asked, "What happened last night?"

"I went to see him," Rae said, but she didn't say why, "We had a…physical altercation." And she hoped he wouldn't catch on to what she actually meant by that.

"Physical?" he repeated, "Did he hurt you?"

"He hurt my feelings more than anything," Rae replied, but really he had hurt her much deeper than that, "I didn't find any bruises or anything on me—

"Rae," Jetfire groaned, "I don't want you to keep getting yourself hurt like this. I want you to be happy; I want you to be you."

"You don't know how hard I'm trying," she said.

He gently lifted her in his hand and held her against his spark. "I don't want you to feel like this," he said gently, "I know what it's like to feel lonely and unloved. If I could I'd take all the pieces of your broken heart and put them back together again."

"You…you mean that?"

He nodded, "I saved your life. There's a connection I feel towards you that's different than the connection I feel with the others."

She smiled as she leaned against him. "There's that smile," he said.

It only caused her to smile bigger as she made herself comfortable in his hand. "What makes you lonely, Jetfire?" she asked.

"Well, right now, being the only Autobot with the ability to fly through the heavens makes me lonely," he admitted as he leaned back against a rock, eyeing the sunset.

Rae grinned as she watched him, "I'd race the wind with you."

Jetfire looked down at her, a smirk in his optics as well as hidden behind his facemask. "You know," he said, "I think _that's_ the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me."

She blushed, "I highly doubt that."

"Nope," he said as he focused his attention back on the sun with a sigh, "It was pretty sexy."

"Well if you want to know what's pretty sexy…" she trailed off.

"What?" he asked, curious.

"I'm not going to go there with you," she said, her eyes gleaming.

He only laughed.

* * *

><p>After the sun had disappeared below the horizon, Jetfire took Rae back to her room so that she could get some much needed rest. He bade her goodnight before he left to go to his own quarters and get some recharge as well. However, as Rae got ready for bed, she couldn't get the white Autobot off of her mind.<p>

Was he her knight in shining armor?

Rae quickly shook her head, blushing profusely at the thought. She had been entirely grateful for his company and managed to get her mind off her ex, off her pain and suffering. He managed to get her to smile, to feel accepted, wanted, like she was worthy of his attention. Rae knew as she laid down on her bed that she had to stop with her masochistic ways, she had to stop thinking about how much she was hurting and instead think about all the things she had in life to make her happy.

_Tomorrow_, she thought, _tomorrow will be a good day._

* * *

><p>Next chapter will be happier and possibly funnier. But until then, please review!<p> 


	6. Broken Window

Well, this chapter was much longer than what I expected, but it's much happier than the previous chapters. Thanks to everyone who's been reading and reviewing though, I appreciate it so very much. I hope you enjoy this chapter! I promise it's got a bit of comic relief in it.

* * *

><p><strong><span>6.<span>**

**Broken Window**

Jetfire was impressed by the turn around Rae had in the last week.

Though he hadn't seen much of her since they both were busy, he heard from the kids and from Caliburst that Rae seemed to be doing much better. She was coming out of her room; she was interacting with Rad, Carlos, and Alexis. She finally met Billy and Fred, who hadn't been around the past week since they had been grounded. Caliburst informed him that she was laughing and joking around with the other kids, but she still didn't talk much about herself.

However, that wasn't surprising to the Autobot second in command. He understood that some people just didn't like to talk about themselves. But, he knew Rae was still hiding something. When he did see her, she still had that painful, screaming look in her eye. He sighed heavily as he stood in the command center, trying to read a datapad but his optics couldn't focus on what had been scribbled on it.

What had Rae said? He figured out that she had a broken heart; she described it as feeling like someone had ripped a hole in her chest. She had asked him if he had ever felt lost and completely alone. She revealed that Micah had been her roommate, that they had a fight and she left, she had gone back to him last Friday and they had a physical altercation.

He wondered what she meant by physical altercation.

She said he didn't hurt her, that she didn't have any bruises and he had hurt her feelings more than anything. Whatever it was, it didn't sound violent. It didn't sound like Micah had been trying to hurt her.

"Physical altercation," he mumbled under his breath as he set the datapad aside.

"Something wrong, Jetfire?"

He turned to see Optimus standing there. He wasn't surprised, since he and Optimus could link up, they shared a unique bond. When they were linked up, they shared each other's emotions and thoughts. When separated, they still shared a similar connection and could sense each other's distress. Besides all that, they had always been great friends. Jetfire knew if he tried to brush off his concerns, Optimus would still know something was wrong. They knew each other inside and out, and Jetfire was thankful to have someone to confide in.

"Just got Rae on my processor," he said, trying to make it sound like things weren't really that bad.

"How is she?"

"She's better this week; last week was...it was a nightmare," he confessed, but he knew Optimus wouldn't ask for details, what happened between he and Rae would stay between them.

"It's alright to be worried," Optimus said, "But if you're worried this much, I'd say something was seriously wrong with Rae."

He sighed, "She still hasn't told me much. That girl…she's a mystery."

Optimus smiled behind his facemask, "Well, just keep an optic on her. Things will work themselves out."

"I hope so sir," he answered, but he didn't feel much better. He watched as Optimus gave him a concerned look before he finally turned away.

* * *

><p>Rae wasn't going to lie; it felt <em>good<em> to be interacting with human beings again.

After her last heart to heart with Jetfire, she knew she had to at least _try_ to be normal. She knew that she couldn't keep feeling sorry for herself. She had her week of misery. And though her heart was still in agony, she made an attempt to put her best foot forward. It still wasn't easy, she still cried herself to sleep, she still had moments where she just wanted to run and hide, but she felt so much stronger after each fit of laughter she shared with the kids.

But now, she wanted to have some fun.

"Hey guys!" Rae exclaimed excited as she came into the rec room where Rad, Carlos, Alexis, Billy, and Fred were, "I got a surprise."

"What'd you get?" Fred asked, his eyes lighting up, "Doughnuts?"

"You wish. Help me with this," she said as she suddenly stepped out of the rec room.

The kids got up and peered out the door, watching as Rae, along with a couple other Minicons, tried to wheel a few rather large speakers towards the rec room. "Just what are you doing with those?" Alexis asked suspiciously.

She shrugged before answering, "I want to rock this place."

Rad and Carlos glanced at each other before exchanging smiles. They immediately went to help, as did Billy and Fred, and after a bit of reluctance, Alexis did as well. It took them a bit, but after about an hour or so of grunt work, they managed to set up the speakers inside of the rec room.

Billy observed the speakers for a moment before saying, "Well, so much for your surprise. Doughnuts would've been better."

"Come on," Rae said, "Think about how awesome your video games will sound now."

"That's true…but how do we even know if these speakers work?"

"Well," Rae said as she plugged in her iPod, "Let's test them."

* * *

><p>Most of the Autobots in the command center were quite surprised to hear a sudden explosion of sound, but they were even more surprised to hear a man suddenly belt out the lyrics, "All I wanted was to see her naked!"<p>

The Autobots exchanged glances, warily, as nobody dared to guess what was going on. Suddenly, they heard Rae shout from down the hall, "I'm _really_ sorry about that…I forgot I was listening to that song!"

It was Jetfire though that couldn't hold it back anymore as he let loose his laughter. "Ah, that's _my_ girl," he remarked as he left the command center to see exactly what she had done. As he walked towards the rec room, all the worry he felt for Rae seemed to melt away. He hoped and prayed that she was actually coming around. If this was who she really was, a girl that loved to laugh, a girl that put others first, then they were going to get along great.

When he got to the rec room, he wasn't surprised to walk in and find the kids laughing at what had just happened. Rae was laughing too, a slight blush on her face. "It could've been worse," she said, "I Am Not a Whore by LMFAO or Casual Sex by My Darkest Days could've come on."

"Casual Sex?" Billy asked, "I'm afraid to look at your playlist."

"Don't be, mine's the best," she said as Jetfire cleared his throat.

The kids looked over at him as he said, "What's going on in here?"

"Rae got new speakers for us," Fred said, pointing out the obvious, "They work really well."

"I _know_ that," Jetfire replied, "We heard them all the way down in the command center. Try to keep it down, alright? We're trying to get work done."

"Come on Jetfire," Carlos said, "We're only having fun, lighten up a little."

"Give him a break, Carlos," Alexis remarked, "He and the rest of the Autobots are fighting a war."

However, Jetfire wasn't really listening to them. He stared at Rae as she gazed back at him, a curious expression on her face. He felt lost in her hazel irises. That pained expression wasn't there, but in its place was something so wondrous it made his spark suddenly swell with warmth inside his chest. His own reaction frightened him and he quickly looked away, shifting his gaze back to the kids.

_For sparks-sake, get a grip on yourself, Jetfire. So she warmed your spark a little, she's not the first femme to do that._

"Hey Rae, your phone is buzzing," Rad said as he picked up. He went to hand her phone to her when Billy snatched it.

"Who's calling?" he asked, then added with a taunting tease as he read the caller ID, "Who's Micah? Is he your _boyfriend_?"

"He's bad news, come on, hand over the phone," Rae said.

"It stopped ringing," Billy said and then a few seconds later he remarked, "He texted you." Rae watched horrified as he proceeded to go to her inbox and open the text message, a devious smirk on his face, "Let's see what _Micah_ said."

"Billy, _knock_ it off and _give_ me my phone!" Rae exclaimed as she went over to the teenage boy and tried to get her phone back from him.

"I know you're there Rae, answer the phone. Remember last Friday? If you don't answer the phone then…" Billy stopped reading, a surprised and somewhat horrified expression went across his face as he looked to Rae. "Uh…sorry," he said as he handed her phone back to her, "Maybe you should…maybe you should call the police. I mean if that guy is harassing you like that—

"You _weren't_ supposed to know," she hissed as she shoved her phone into her pocket. She sighed heavily, biting back the urge to cry, biting back the urge to scream at Billy. Finally she said, "Look, just don't go through my phone anymore, alright?"

Billy nodded. Jetfire opened his mouth to ask Rae if she wanted to go talk about it, but to his surprise, she spoke first. "Are you guys busy tonight?" she asked, "I know its Friday and you guys might have plans."

Jetfire hid a soft smile behind his facemask. Rae had held her composure, she hadn't runaway. He was proud of her.

"What do you have in mind?" Alexis asked.

"A movie night," she said, "I'll bring snacks if you guys bring movies."

The kids exchanged glances knowing that a movie night in the Autobot base sounded like a lot of fun. "Can the Autobots come?" Fred asked, "Because watching movies with them would be really cool."

All eyes went to Jetfire as he remarked, "I don't see why not. But, no chick flicks and no sex scenes."

"After sunset then?" Rae asked as she looked to Jetfire, "In the command center?"

"After sunset it is then," Jetfire said, "But I got to be getting back to the command center, Optimus is going to start wondering where I am."

The kids said they would see him later and Jetfire turned and left the rec room. However, he didn't make it very far when he heard Rae shout his name. He stopped and looked back to see her standing in the hallway. "What's up Rae?" he asked.

She gave a nervous smile before she asked, "Will you watch the sunset with me?"

Even though she couldn't see, he smiled at her nervousness. "Sure thing," he said, "I'll see you later Rae." And with that, he turned and headed back to the command center. However, when he got back and tried to focus on the same datapad that he had tossed aside earlier, he couldn't, and it wasn't because worry consumed him.

He couldn't wait to be with Rae.

* * *

><p>When he was finally dismissed for the day, Jetfire rushed outside the base. After he was finally out in the open air, he looked at the sky. He saw the sun was getting ready to go down on the western horizon. Seeing that he still had a little time, Jetfire walked over to the place where he and Rae had watched the sunset before, and to his surprise, she was already out there waiting for him.<p>

"Hey big guy," she said, looking over at him.

"How long have you been out here?" he asked as he went over to her and took a seat beside her.

"Not that long," she replied and she smiled before confessing, "I've been trying all week to get you alone."

He chuckled softly, "Oh really? That eager for my attention?"

"I wanted to say thanks."

"For what?"

"You're the only person that has been there for me when no one else has, not even my own friends. I mean, yeah, Rad and the others are good company, but they're all seven years younger than me. It's hard for us to relate. You've stuck by me when you didn't even have to; heck you saved my life when you didn't even have to. You're a genuinely good person."

"Come on Rae," he said though he was flattered, "I'm not that amazing."

"I'd compare you to Superman."

"Who's Superman?" he asked, eyeing the sunset.

"He's a fictional superhero," she explained, "But like you, he was an alien, and like you, he was made out of metal though he looked human and experienced human emotions. The only thing you're missing is the red cape."

He grinned, "I'm sure Superman had a weakness."

"Well, Kryptonite was one, Lois Lane, the girl he loved, was the other. But everybody has weaknesses. Weaknesses don't determine whether or not a person is good, they just make a person strive to be stronger."

He admired her insight. "What's your biggest weakness?" he asked as he leaned back against a rock face.

"Men."

He laughed as he looked down her, her eyes catching his optics. He decided not to bring up the text message that she had received from Micah earlier that afternoon and instead wondered, "Are you looking forward to the movie tonight?"

"I'm mostly looking forward to overdosing on ice cream and popcorn," she said.

He only smiled.

* * *

><p>Jetfire and Rae returned the command center of the base after the sun went down. The kids and a few other Autobots were waiting as Rae prepared the snacks and the kids fought over a movie to watch. Finally, they decided to watch Signs. Fred was delighted when Rae set out cookies, popcorn, ice cream, soda, candy bars, and even doughnuts.<p>

Rad put the movie in as Rae immediately helped herself to some ice cream. She glanced around noticing that the Autobots in the room besides Jetfire were Hotshot, Sideswipe, and Smokescreen.

"So, what's this movie about?" Smokescreen asked.

"An alien invasion," Carlos replied, "Some rogue aliens are trying to take over Earth, kind of like how the Decepticons are trying to take over the universe."

As the movie played out, it was Fred that got scared the most. He screamed at the part where the father went into the cornfield and accidentally came across one of the aliens. He had to hold onto Billy after the alien came out of the bushes during the birthday party scene.

"Somebody make me a tin foil hat," he wailed, "The aliens are going to read my thoughts!"

"Calm down Fred," Billy remarked, as he tried to get Fred off him, "It's a just a lame movie."

However, towards the end of the movie, Smokescreen suggested to the other Autobots, "How about we prank the kids?"

Hotshot, Jetfire, and Sideswipe looked to him before Hotshot quietly said, "That's not a bad idea. Got any ideas though?"

"Well, how about this…" Jetfire stated softly.

When the movie ended, the kids were a bit surprised when Smokescreen suddenly remarked, "Well, that's enough for us. We're going to go get some recharge, we got an early morning tomorrow."

"Aw, you're leaving?" Carlos said.

"Yup, sorry. We'll see you guys around tomorrow, okay?" Hotshot said as he and the rest of the Autobots headed for the door.

Before walking out, Jetfire said, "Make you sure you clean up everything in here. Optimus won't appreciate a mess."

And with that, they walked out the door. The kids watched as it hissed shut behind them before Alexis said, "That was weird."

"Well, what do you guys want to do?" Rae asked as she began cleaning up the snacks, "Do you want to watch another movie or go to bed?"

Without any warning, all the lights in the command center suddenly went out. "Alright, what's the big idea?" Billy asked, "Carlos, turn the lights back on."

"Cool it Billy, I didn't turn them off," Carlos remarked.

"Oh no!" Fred shrieked, "Someone cut off the power supply to the base, we're going to die!"

"Fred," Alexis hissed, "Chill out, alright? It was probably just a power surge. The generators should be kicking in pretty soon."

"Wait, did you hear that?" Rad asked.

"Hear _what_?" Billy questioned, annoyed.

"Guys, I'm going to pee my pants if the lights don't come back on," Fred remarked, voice shaking.

There was a sudden, loud, clicking noise, similar to the noise the aliens from Signs made. "Okay dudes," Carlos said, "I'm _officially_ weirded out…"

"I don't have to go the bathroom anymore," Fred admitted.

Something banged against the door, causing Rae and Alexis to scream. Suddenly, the doors made a hissing noise as if they were opening. "Does anybody have a flashlight?" Rad asked.

"N-No," Alexis replied.

A single red eye suddenly illuminated the darkness. "Guys look!" Fred shouted, "It's an alien, they've invaded the base! It's going to kill us!"

"Chill _out_ Fred," Alexis said, "I'm sure there's a logical explanation as to what's—guys help! It's _got _me!"

Just then the lights came back on. Jetfire, Smokescreen, Hotshot, and Sideswipe were standing in the doorway, laughing. "Alright Nightbeat," Sideswipe said to his Minicon, "You can let Alexis go."

"That wasn't funny!" Alexis remarked as the Minicon let her go and went back over to Sideswipe.

"Actually, yes it was," Smokescreen said.

"Don't worry, we'll get them back when they least expect it," Rae said.

"Well, I don't know about you guys," Carlos remarked, "But I've had enough for one night, I'm going to go play video games."

Rad, Billy, and Fred went with him, leaving Alexis and Rae to clean up the mess, which they did. "Well, if the party is over, I'm going to play video games with the others," Hotshot said, "Anybody else want to come?"

Smokescreen and Alexis said they would. Sideswipe decided to go get some recharge. Jetfire watched as they left before he looked to her and asked, "Well, what about you?"

"Want to sneak outside?" she asked, a devilish look in her eye.

He grinned behind his facemask as he knelt down and extended his hand to her. She climbed into his hand and he carefully lifted her up and set her on his shoulder before leaving the base with her. Once outside, he went over to a grassy field with her that wasn't too far from the base and took Rae in his hand before lying down, setting her on top of his chest.

For a while, neither of them said anything. Rae sat atop his chest, gazing up at the stares, Jetfire, however, couldn't get his gaze off her. Eventually she took her eyes off the heavens and Jetfire watched as the locks of her light brown hair tumbled together in the breeze. For a moment, he wished he were small enough to reach up and run his fingers through her hair. And for another moment, he wished she were big enough to lie beside him in the grass beneath the stars.

"You're beautiful, Rae."

She looked at him, surprised. He watched as a blush burned onto her face like the sun. "Thanks," she said softly.

He continued to watch her, but he felt himself getting slightly uncomfortable when he noticed that Rae wasn't letting up her gaze from his optics. If they were having a staring contest, this would have been perfectly acceptable, but they weren't.

"Is there…something on my face?" he asked.

"No," she replied, shaking her head, "They say someone's eyes are the window to their soul."

"Window to the soul?"

"Yeah," she answered with a small smile, "I wish you could see inside yourself so that maybe you could see just how wonderful of a person you are. I mean, if you could even see _half_ the happiness you bring me…"

"Rae," he said quietly. He hadn't felt this touched before in his life, "Have you seen your own?"

Her smile disappeared and a sudden sadness filled her eyes. "I don't want you to see my soul," she said quietly as she looked away, "You wouldn't like it."

"That's not true—

"Jetfire," she remarked, "Imagine a shattered window, the glass is still in place, but it's broken and has sharp, jagged edges. The cracks seem to spiral around like a spider web. You can see the shards, but if you touch them, the glass will fall out and the window will be ruined. That's what the window to my soul looks like…_completely_ broken."

"Rae—

"I'm trying to fix it," she said quickly, "But it's so hard to do it on my own."

"If you'd let me, I'll help you."

She smiled, and he felt relieved when her smile returned, "I'd like that, but a lot of the rebuilding I've got to do on my own."

"Well then, let me be your foundation," he said.

"See, you are a good person," she replied as she lay down on his chest.

Jetfire placed a hand over her in an effort to keep her warm. He gently stroked his fingertips along her back and watched as she fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Later that night, after Jetfire had taken Rae back to her room so that she could rest for the night, he went back to his room. However, he felt like he still had stars in his optics. He was in an inexplicably good mood as he walked into his quarters. He felt light, airy, as if he were freefalling.<p>

_But freefalling into what?_

The Autobot second in command shook his head as he crossed his room towards his berth, but stopped when a sudden flash caught his optic. He glanced over and looked at the mirror that was hanging on his wall. _I wonder…_

Jetfire stepped up to the mirror and frowned as soon as he saw his reflection in it. He took in his features, the ones that he had memorized so long ago, and realized that nothing had changed except for maybe the scratches or chips in his paint. _How had Rae done this?_

The eyes are the window to the soul…

He looked himself in the optics, but all he saw were two bright yellow burning orbs staring back. Where was this soul that Rae had seen? Did this wonderful person she said he was really exist?

He looked again, but he guessed the window to his soul was closed. It seemed as if Rae was the only one who could open it or see through it. But he knew that even if he couldn't see this wonderful person he was, he didn't need to. Rae was the only goodness he needed to see.

* * *

><p>Jetfire was relieved as another week went by and Rae still seemed to be getting better. She was slowly beginning to warm up to the rest of the Autobots and expressing interest in participating in more missions to retrieve Minicons, like the rest of the kids. However, one evening, as he was working in the command center, he was surprised when Alexis approached him with Rae's phone.<p>

"Hey Jetfire, Rae left her phone in the rec room," she said, "It's been vibrating non-stop. I have to get home so I can do homework; do you think you could give it back to her?"

"Sure thing," he said as he knelt down and took the small device between his finger and thumb.

"Thanks," Alexis replied before she left the room.

Figuring he shouldn't hold onto Rae's phone for too long since he was libel to damage it, he got Optimus' permission to take it back to her. As he walked towards her room, he felt it vibrate a few times in his hand. He wondered if it was Micah texting her again.

Jetfire stopped suddenly in the hall and looked down at the phone. He could find out…

Oh, it was tempting. Rae would never know. He glanced down the hallway towards her room before he quickly turned and headed towards his room instead. He tried not to think of it as an invasion of privacy as he reached his room and fired up the computer he had inside. When it was online, he synced her phone with his computer; he typed in a few commands, and watched as the information on Rae's phone popped up on the computer screen. By doing this, Rae wouldn't be able to tell that he had gone through her phone. He sighed heavily.

_My role as guardian is to protect her…I'm doing this out of concern. A concerned friend would do this, right?_

He shook his head as he navigated through the various icons until he found her messaging inbox. He opened the inbox only to see she had several unread messages, all of them from Micah. He selected one of the unread messages and opened it. There was no turning back now.

_Come on Rae. Talk to me._

He went to the next.

_You can't keep ignoring me.  
>Where are you staying?<br>I'm going to find you Rae; you're going to come home. How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?_

"Wonder what he's sorry for," Jetfire mused as he kept going through the messages.

_You haven't spoken to me in two weeks. Not since Friday night two weeks ago. That wasn't anyone's fault, Ra-Ra. You came to me. Please talk to me? I care about you; I want to get this worked out._

Jetfire sighed. He ignored the one last unread message that was in her inbox and proceeded to go to her outbox to see if Rae had been talking to him.

_I'll talk to you when I'm ready. Please stop texting and calling. I'll get a hold of you when I'm ready._

To Jetfire, she sounded reasonable. However, he still wanted to see if he could figure out just _what_ was going on. He still wasn't exactly sure what to make of Micah as he opened the last text message Rae had sent Micah.

_Two weeks ago, when I came over, I said no. But you didn't stop; you still took advantage of me._

"What's this?" he wondered out loud, fear and overwhelming concern suddenly gnawing at his spark. He immediately went back to the inbox where there was still one unread message. He felt like collapsing to the floor after he read it.

_I'll rape you again if I have to._

* * *

><p>Rae was a bit surprised when she heard a knock on her door. Trying to guess who it might be, she went over to the door and opened it only to see Jetfire standing there. She smiled when she saw it was him and said, "Hey, what brings you here?"<p>

"You left your phone in the rec room," he said as he knelt down and handed her phone to her.

"Oh, thanks," she remarked as she took the phone out of his hand, "It could've stayed lost. Nobody important contacts me anyway."

"I added myself as a contact," he said, "If you don't mind. I'll be able to contact you and you can contact me whenever you need to."

"In case I need you to rescue me again?" she asked with a smirk.

He wanted to smile, but he couldn't. It was all he could do to keep from demanding just who Micah was, to keep from forcing her to tell him what he had done to her. Why hadn't she called the cops? Why hadn't she told him? He was glad his facemask hid his scowl.

"I'll risk exposing my existence to all of mankind if it means keeping you safe," he said, but he wasn't being sweet about it.

A suspicious look went across her face as she looked down at her phone. She knew her phone was too small for him to go through. She wondered if Caliburst had said something. Shrugging it off though, she remarked, "I appreciate that—

"Are you _sure_ everything is alright, Rae?"

"I still have things I need to work out…are _you _okay? You seem upset about something."

"I—I'm fine," he lied. Never before did he have such an urge to kill a human being, he was an Autobot. He swore to protect all innocent life, but in his mind, Micah was anything but innocent. "I just, I'm worried about you, Rae."

She motioned for him to come closer. Jetfire leaned down so close that his face was only a few feet from her body. "Everything is going to be okay," she said as she stepped forward, hugging his facemask.

He appreciated the sudden calmness that went through him as he nuzzled his face against her, his spark swelling with a comforting warmth inside his chest.

* * *

><p>That night, Jetfire had a dream about Rae.<p>

He dreamt of her eyes, he dreamt of seeing into her soul. He dreamt that she was lying above him, intimately close. It was nighttime and the stars were behind her. Her eyes were closed and he asked her if she would open them so that he could see the goodness in her soul.

She warned him that the window to her soul was broken. She was afraid if she opened her eyes she would lose herself forever through the broken glass and cracks she couldn't fix. He asked her again. She opened her eyes and he watched as she positioned her finger and thumb into the shape of a gun and held it to the side of her head at eyelevel.

"Bang," she said, but her voice was so loud it sounded like a gun had been fired.

He watched, horrified, as the glass that made up her eyes shattered and the broken shards fell on his face like tears.

Jetfire woke up and immediately wiped his face, but nothing was there. What had he expected, to pull his hand away and find it cut and bleeding from broken pieces of glass? He sighed heavily, staring at his hand as he tried to calm himself. Rae's name repeated over and over in his mind, her imaged burned into his optics…into his soul. This urge he had to help her, to _save _her, it nearly brought him to his knees.

There was something about her that he craved, that he couldn't forget, there was something other than this dark secret she possessed that drew him to her. There was something his spark yearned to satisfy with her. He was terrified to the core, but not for himself.

He was scared to death for Rae…

* * *

><p>Until the next chapter, let me know what you thought!<p> 


	7. The Coward and the Sacrifice

Okay, this chapter practically wrote itself. It's kind of a filler chapter, but it has planted the seeds for the rest of this story. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter, I hope you enjoy this one.

* * *

><p><strong><span>7.<span>**

**The Coward and the Sacrifice**

Rae felt like throwing up the moment the professor walked into the classroom carrying an ominous manila folder full of papers. The previous class, they had taken the hardest test of her life up until this point, and though she had started studying a week in advance, Rae had a gut feeling that she had failed the test. She wasn't ready to get the test back so quickly, especially since she needed at least a B in this class in order to keep her GPA up.

She also didn't feel much better when the teacher said, "Alright guys, we need to talk about your tests. This is a childhood psychology class, it isn't supposed to be hard, therefore there shouldn't be any reason as to why over half of you failed. I've been teaching this class nearly fifteen years and have never had a class do so poorly on an exam before."

Nobody said anything, Rae swallowed hard. If she had failed, at least she wasn't the only one. Everyone seemed to be exchanging glances trying to figure out who the failures were and who might've been lucky enough to pass the test. The teacher observed them for a moment before sighing heavily and saying, "I will review the material with you this class and give you a shorter exam next class. I'll take the better of the two grades but _do not_ expect me to do this again."

The class seemed to sigh with relief and Rae felt some of the sickness in her stomach go away. That was until the teacher started handing back the tests, face down. When Rae got hers, she didn't want to flip it over. With a shaky hand and held breath, she flipped it over and exhaled as she read the grade that had been branded on her test in red ink.

_86_

She sighed heavily, relieved that she had passed. She felt like smiling, knowing that she didn't have to hide her test paper from curious eyes. In fact, she could hardly wait to go back to the base and tell Jetfire how her hard work had paid off, even if she had only gotten a B+. Next test though she was determined to get an A. Forgetting Jetfire for the moment, she concentrated as the teacher went through the test, going over the right answers and answering students' questions.

* * *

><p>Rae practically burst into the command center of the Autobot base once she got back to the base later that afternoon, eager to see Jetfire. However, she was surprised to see that only Red Alert and the other kids there. Curious and disappointed, Rae slowly walked into the command center as the Autobot medic took notice of her.<p>

"Afternoon Rae," he said, warmly greeting her.

"Hey Red," she replied, trying to match his friendly tone, "Where is everybody?"

"They went to scout out the Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica," Red Alert explained.

"They're in Costa Rica? That's certainly not fair."

Red Alert gave a light chuckle before replying, "They're certainly not there to have a good time, if that makes you feel better. We received an anonymous tip that the Decepticons were in the area."

"Well, that doesn't sound good," Rae mused, "Think it's a trap and the 'Cons are trying to get the Requiem Blaster or whatever?"

"We don't know that," Red Alert responded, "That's why Optimus has us taking every precaution. Smokescreen is in a secluded area of the base guarding the Requiem Blaster Minicons." And he proceeded to show her where he was on the monitor.

"So, the Decepticons don't know that the Autobots didn't bring the Blaster with them, let alone have any intention of using it?"

"No," Red Alert answered, "And even though the chances are low, let's hope the Decepticons don't come here looking for the Minicons."

"Laserbeak's locked on!" Rad suddenly exclaimed as he pointed at the monitor, "And it looks like it's Starscream!"

"Well, it looks like we won't have to worry about that," Rae said, "I'm going to go back to my room and get some homework done. When Jetfire gets back, can you let him know I was looking for him?"

Red Alert gave a soft smile, "Of course."

She thanked him before leaving the room. It took her about ten minutes to get back to her room since the base was so enormous. Usually Caliburst was there to give her rides around the base, but he had wanted to go see the other Minicons, and Rae didn't want to stop him from socializing with his friends.

When she did get back to her room, she glumly plopped down at her desk and fired up her computer. She spent the next several minutes perusing Facebook and checking her email before she finally forced herself to get off the website and start her homework. Sighing heavily, she pulled out her childhood psychology notes and textbook, figuring she should start studying for the exam she would be having the next class.

In the back of her mind though, her thoughts were on Jetfire. She hoped that the battle was going alright; she desperately wanted to talk to him. She sighed before saying in an effort to reassure herself, "He'll be alright. Everything will be just fine."

However, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was lying to herself.

* * *

><p>Fred couldn't really help it when a sudden, powerful yawn overcame him. He yawned loudly, completely forgetting that the others were trying to watch the battle on the monitor.<p>

"Fred, do you mind?" Alexis asked, not hiding her annoyance.

"Uh, sorry," he said before quickly covering his mouth.

"Hey, how come our monitor crashed?" Rad exclaimed, looking to the monitor.

Curious, Fred looked over. That's when he noticed something peculiar. Instead of the battle being filmed, he saw himself on the monitor, as if he were being filmed. "Look!" he said as he waved his hands in front of him, "I think someone's messing around with the camera, guys."

Carlos noticed before exclaiming, "This is starting to get freaky."

"Guys! _Look_, look, look!" Fred nearly shouted as the monitor suddenly began to flash various locations of the base, including Rae studying in her room before showing Smokescreen guarding the Minicons.

"What? Let me check. The switcher must be on the fritz," Red Alert said as he tried to type in a few commands, "It's not responding."

And to everyone's horror, an image of Sideways suddenly appeared on the monitor. He chuckled darkly before saying, "Surprise."

"S-Sideways!" Red Alert remarked.

The traitor laughed again before disappearing. Everyone was silent for a few moments before Billy asked, "I wonder what that was about."

A sudden explosion rocked the base, causing everyone to jump and immediately tense. Red Alert typed in a few commands on the monitor before an image projected. Carlos gasped before exclaiming, "The Decepticons are attacking the base!"

"Come with me," Red Alert remarked quickly, not giving the kids an option as he quickly scooped them up in his hand before running out of the command center.

"Where are we going?" Fred asked as Red Alert ran down a few hallways before he suddenly stopped and set the kids on the ground.

The Autobot medic proceeded to open a vent on the side of the wall. "Get in there and hide," he said, "Hurry now!"

The kids immediately crawled inside before Red Alert sealed it back up. He turned to leave when Carlos asked, "Hey, what about Smokescreen?"

"I'm going to go help him," the medic replied. He went to leave when Alexis stopped him this time.

"What about Rae?" she asked.

* * *

><p>"Alright Thrust," Megatron exclaimed as he blasted another door down, only to reveal another dead end, "You said Smokescreen is here guarding the Minicons, now where is he?"<p>

"I'm…I'm not exactly sure, sir," he answered nervously.

Megatron growled before saying, "Then we'll tear this base apart until we find the Minicons."

"Hey, wait a minute, sir," Cyclonus remarked before pointing to a small door, "That door looks small enough to hide some Minicons behind it, or maybe one of those human brats. They would know where Smokescreen is."

Megatron glanced at the door curiously before he approached it. "You had better hope there's something or _someone_ behind here, Cyclonus," he said before he knelt down and proceeded to pry the door open.

* * *

><p>Rae had her headphones on and was blasting her music so loud that she hadn't heard the sudden explosion that rocked the base. However, she had felt the tremors from it. Curiously, she paused her music and slid her headphones off before setting them on her desk. She glanced around before finally shrugging and muttering, "Must've been a small earthquake. This area gets them a lot."<p>

She went to slip her headphones back on when she heard the door suddenly slide open. Thinking it was Jetfire back from the battle, she immediately smiled. "You should knock next time, I could've been naked," she teased before turning to look at the door, expecting to meet Jetfire's gaze. Instead, when she saw who was really there, shock and fear ran cold through her veins. She immediately jumped back, stumbling over her chair in the process, seemingly amusing the intruder in the process.

"Well, it's a good thing you're not," he replied.

"M-Megatron…" she stated, trying to swallow back her fear. Never, ever, had she dreamed that she would be having a conversation with the _leader_ of the Decepticons. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"You should know," he stated as he reached into the room. Before Rae could react, he seized her in his hand and pulled her out of the room. He stood back up, grinning wickedly as he said, "You will tell me where the Requiem Blaster Minicons are or I'll squeeze."

Rae felt dizzy at the height he had her at. She remembered the first time Jetfire had picked her up and set her on his shoulder. She had clung to the side of his face in sheer terror, but he had reassured her that he wouldn't let her fall. She mentally cursed her fear of heights as she tried to focus back on the Decepticon leader and his demand rather than on the fact that he was libel to drop her at any second, on purpose or not.

"You're trying my patience, human," he warned.

"I don't know where they are," she tried to lie, "I didn't even know the Autobots were out on a mission—

She stopped as he started to squeeze her. He squeezed so hard, she felt her ribs threatening to snap under the weight, her vision was clouded by stars, and before she realized what she was doing, she shouted, "Alright! I'll lead you there."

"Wise choice," Megatron remarked.

"Her again?" Wheeljack suddenly remarked, finally getting a good look at the human. He chuckled darkly before taunting, "How's the ex-boyfriend?"

She scowled at him before shouting, "You can suck his f—king balls!"

"Say that again," he remarked as he aimed his gun at her.

"Stand down, Wheeljack," Megatron replied before looking back to Rae, "Where are the Minicons?"

She reluctantly gave him Smokescreen's location before saying, "Now, since I gave you want you want, will you let me go?"

"I'm not finished with you yet," Megatron replied with a wicked smirk, "Let's go, men."

Rae felt her heart sink into her stomach as the Decepticon leader carried her to the room Smokescreen was located in before blasting down the door. Rae cringed, not wanting to see what was about to happen, not wanting to be a part of any of this.

_Jetfire, where are you when I need you?_

* * *

><p>"Boy, did they ever trash this place," Sideswipe remarked as he and the rest of the Autobots warped back to the base. The kids had contacted them via their cellular phones to inform them that the Decepticons had broken into the base.<p>

"Hello!" Hotshot suddenly called out, "Can anybody hear me in here?"

"Yeah and we're down here Hotshot," Fred called back from inside the vent.

"I thought they'd never show up," Billy remarked, relieved.

"Are you guys alright?" Blurr asked as the kids crawled out of the damaged vent.

"Just hungry," Fred replied.

"Red Alert told us we should hide inside here," Billy said.

"It was amazing," Rad remarked, "The Decepticons knew everything about our security."

"Yeah, because of Sideways," Alexis stated bitterly.

"So, where is Red Alert?" Scavenger asked.

"No clue Scavenger," Carlos said, "He just showed us where to hide and then he just took off."

"What about Rae?" Jetfire asked.

The kids exchanged glances before Carlos answered, "We don't know that either."

Hotshot sighed heavily before saying, "The first thing we have to do is find them. Sideswipe, you look after the kids."

"No problem, bro," he remarked.

"Let's go!" Scavenger said as they proceeded further into the damaged base to find Red Alert, Rae, Smokescreen, and the Minicons.

* * *

><p>"Megatron!" Smokescreen remarked after the dust cleared from the door being blown open. He didn't see Rae struggling to get free from the Decepticon leader's grasp.<p>

"Ah yes," Megatron replied, "There's the Requiem Blaster Minicons."

Thrust chuckled darkly before saying, "I have a suggestion, Megatron. If the Autobot hands over the Minicons, we let him go. But if he resists, well, uh, I'll leave his fate in your hands."

"No deal Decepti-scum!" Smokescreen replied as he aimed his weapon at Thrust and fired, knocking the tactician into the opposite wall, "Optimus ordered me to protect these Minicons at _all costs_, Megatron, and that's what I'm going to do."

"Bad decision," Megatron remarked as he held up the struggling Rae for the orange Autobot to see. He chuckled darkly before saying, "Hand over the Minicons to me, Smokescreen."

"No!" Smokescreen shouted, "Let her go!"

"Give me the Minicons first."

Smokescreen hesitated. As an Autobot, it was his sworn duty to protect all innocent life. Somehow, he would have to find a way to not only free Rae, but to keep the Minicons protected as well. And he knew Megatron wouldn't want to be kept waiting. He glanced at Rae, feeling horrible as he saw the fear in her eyes as she stared back at him. He couldn't let her down, he couldn't let the Minicons down, or Optimus…

"You don't need to be a hero, Smokescreen," Rae said softly, trying her best to stay calm as she gave up struggling.

"I have to protect you, Rae. I have to protect the Minicons too, even if I have to give up my spark to defend all of you."

"Please," Megatron remarked, "There's nothing you can do to protect _Rae_ while she's in my grasp. You either hand over the Minicons now or you not only lose Rae, but you'll pay for your blind allegiance to Optimus Prime as well."

But Rae wouldn't have it. She swallowed hard as sickness and guilt tried to spill out of her throat. She knew it was terribly selfish, but she didn't want to die. This wasn't a movie or a heroic novel. She wouldn't plead with Smokescreen to forget about her, even if she were just a speck on the world's timeline. She had every right to beg for her life, even if it wasn't the brave thing to do. She was scared to death, trembling in Megatron's vice grip. She couldn't imagine leaving the world; she wasn't strong enough to find out if heaven or hell existed. She still had a bucket list ten miles long of things she still wanted to accomplish.

She wanted to see Jetfire again.

Rae bit back her nausea, her pride, her empathy as she shouted, "Smokescreen, this is war! Sometimes you have to surrender, sometimes you will be defeated. Give Megatron the Minicons! You won't win this any other way."

"How amusing," Megatron gloated, "This human speaks reasonably."

Rae wanted to cry at the look Smokescreen gave her. She would have felt better if his optics had screamed fury at her, if they had screamed hatred that she had said such a thing. But there was no hatred; there was no anger, only an overwhelming look of sadness and pity for her. He was willing to lay down his life to protect not only the Minicons, but to save her as well. He pitied her since she simply could not understand why he was so willing to die in the name of peace.

She was a coward.

Rae didn't know how, but somehow after a flurry of movement, she ended up safely on the floor, free of Megatron's grasp. The rest of the Autobots arrived as Megatron forced the Minicons from Smokescreen. Words were exchanged; Rae couldn't focus as she tried to come back to reality.

It was Smokescreen's agonized scream as a blast from the Requiem Blaster tore through his body that brought Rae back. She felt numb, she felt sick. She watched as he passed in Optimus' arms, the Autobot leader's anguished scream of sadness echoing all the way into her soul.

"No…" she whimpered, but it went unheard. Smokescreen had died to keep everyone safe. She had begged to live by cutting him down. What kind of person was she?

Tears blinded her as she ran out of the room.

* * *

><p>Jetfire was horrified when he went to Rae's room later that day and found her packing up her belongings, tears streaming down her face. The door had been damaged from when Megatron opened it and it remained jammed, Rae's room naked for the base to see. "Rae," he breathed as he knelt down outside her door, "What are you doing?"<p>

"I'm leaving," she said flatly, wiping her eyes in a failed attempt to dry her face.

"Come here, let's talk about this," he said as he reached into the room, but he stopped when she suddenly yelled at him.

"_Don't_ touch me!"

"What's wrong?"

She laughed, but it was condescending, "One of your battle buddies just died and you're asking _me_ what's wrong?"

"Red Alert says there might be something he can do…his spark chamber didn't sustain damage. If he works quickly enough he might be able to save him," Jetfire explained, "And before you go having a _fit_ with me, Red Alert also mentioned Megatron was holding you hostage. So when I come here and find you like _this_, as your _guardian_, I have every right to be concerned about you."

"It doesn't change anything," she said as she sat down on her bed, "I can't stay here anymore."

"Why are you leaving?"

"I led the Decepticons right to Smokescreen, and when Megatron told Smokescreen to hand over the Minicons or else he would kill me, I told Smokescreen to do what he said. I cut him down, I told him not to be a hero. But he _still_ freed me and he _died_ to keep everyone safe. I was a coward; I chose my life while he chose to give his up. I can't stay if I'm only going to cause more people to get hurt."

"Rae, I know you want to be strong; I know you want to be brave and prove yourself, but it's alright to be scared. You did what you had to in order to survive; Smokescreen did what he swore to do when he joined the Autobots."

But that still didn't satisfy her. "If it weren't for me," she continued to argue, "He might still be alive and the Decepticons might not have the Requiem Blaster."

"Rae, don't leave."

"Give me one good reason to stay."

"I lost one friend today; I don't want to lose another."

She hesitated, looking over at her suitcase. She didn't want to leave, but she didn't know how to face the guilt she felt over Smokescreen's death. _It's alright to be scared…_she shook her head. Her mother had raised her to put others first. She had just put herself first. She looked back to Jetfire before saying, "I can't…"

He became irritated, "Where will you go then, back to Micah?"

She didn't like the way he said that, it seemed like he had spit the sentence out as if to throw it in her face. "I have no other place to go," she replied.

Rae watched as his optics seemed to erupt with anger. It seemed to boil out of every part of him, his wings flickered dangerously, she had to cringe as he slammed his fist into the floor and created a huge dent. Jetfire couldn't hold his rage back. Something had detonated inside of him. "You'll go back to someone who _raped_ you, but you won't stay here where _I_ can _protect_ you?" he hissed without thinking. The expression that went across her face nearly killed him.

"You _know_ about that?" her voice trembled, her eyes clouding with anger, with pain, with hatred for him.

He couldn't say anything, but his silence provided the answer. "_How_ did you find out?" she hissed, glowering.

"I…" he didn't want to say it, but he knew he was caught and he wasn't a liar. "I went through your phone," he quietly admitted.

"Why?" she demanded, angry, hot tears spilling from her eyes onto her cheeks.

"Because I was _worried_ about you," he exclaimed, raising his voice, "I know it was wrong and I am sorry, but why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell _someone_? Why are you letting him get away with hurting you, with threatening you—

"I _love_ him, Jetfire!" she exclaimed as her voice broke, "You want to know why I was miserable when you found me? I found him in bed with another woman. We had been together for nearly _three years_ and his betrayal broke my heart, it felt like he had _killed_ me. But I still love him with all the pieces of my broken heart; I still love him no matter how much he hurts me because I can't just _stop_. But you said you've never been in love, you _wouldn't_ understand."

"I may not have ever been in love," he said flatly, "But I have enough common sense to warn you that you're playing with fire if you go back to Micah. You may love him, but you haven't learned that you don't need him. If he's so willingly to betray you, to threaten you, to _rape_ you, then he _does not_ deserve you."

"Go away," she seethed.

"Rae…"

"I said _go away_!" she screamed.

Reluctantly, he got to his feet. He stared at her for a moment before he did the last thing he ever wanted to do. He walked away.

* * *

><p>Micah was surprised when he heard a sudden knock on the door. Curious as to who might be there, he opened the door only to see Rae standing there. She had a suitcase in one hand, a large duffel bag of stuff on the floor next to her, and her backpack on her back. He gave a cocky smirk as he crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. "Coming home?" he asked.<p>

She looked to him, and that's when he noticed that she was crying. "Oh Ra-Ra," he exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "Come inside," he breathed as he kissed her forehead, her neck, her face, "I won't let anybody hurt you anymore."

Rae allowed herself to fall limp in his arms as he pulled her inside the room, the door closing behind them. He held her as she cried, all her pent up anger, fear, pain, and self-hatred spilling out of her in desperate, choked out sobs.

"I love you," he breathed, kissing her tearstained face, "I _love_ you."

But Rae was reluctant to believe him. "Come on," he said as he opened the door back up, "Let's get your stuff unpacked."

She watched as he dragged her stuff in and he quickly helped her unpack it. Rae wasn't quite sure what the hurry was, but she guessed he was thinking that the sooner her stuff was unpacked, the harder it would be for her to leave. It was when he came up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist that Rae felt sick again.

"There," he said half chuckling, half being sincere as he pressed his icy lips to her neck, "Your stuff is put away. You can't leave anymore."

Rae wanted to scream.

* * *

><p>After they arrived back at the base, Megatron couldn't have been happier to sit down in his throne, eagerly showing off his new prize. He smirked before saying with amusement, "Ah, the Requiem Blaster…It won't be long before the whole universe is mine. And now that I have the Blaster, there'll be no one to stop me." He proceeded to aim the weapon at Thrust, who tensed nervously. "I owe it all to you, Thrust," he said before taking his aim off his tactician, "You've done very well this time. You will be rewarded for your efforts."<p>

"Thank you sir," the Decepticon replied, bowing.

"You have earned the right to call yourself a Decepticon warrior."

"No fair! We did all the work," Cyclonus grumbled to Demolishor.

"Yeah," the tank replied, agreeing, "How dare he take all the credit for himself."

"Cool it guys," Wheeljack said, "You'll get your rewards when Megatron wins this war."

"Ah, Wheeljack," Megatron suddenly said, looking to him with a smirk on his face.

"Yes sir?" the black Decepticon replied.

"That human, Rae is it? It seems as if you two have met before."

"Yes," Wheeljack confirmed, "I was out on patrol one afternoon and was in the process of doing calculations during a bad storm. I suppose she wasn't paying attention when she crashed into me, destroying her vehicle."

"And you spared her?"

"I wasn't going to, but Jetfire intervened."

"It appears you and her had a conversation though, if you knew about her ex-boyfriend."

"I recorded the altercation, if you would like to see it."

"Please," Megatron said.

Wheeljack proceeded to walk up to the monitor where he pressed a few buttons. He stopped typing when the appropriate recording started to play. When it was over, Megatron had a wicked smirk on his face, amusement sparkling in his crimson optics. "Wheeljack," the Decepticon leader said.

"Yes sir?"

"During your patrols, go to Earth; see if you can locate this human. If you can get to know her, by all means, do so."

"May I ask why, sir?"

"She's aroused my curiosity. That, and she could prove to be a valuable hostage."

"Yes sir," Wheeljack replied.

"Excellent, all of you, go to your quarters and get some rest. We have a busy day tomorrow."

And with that, the Decepticon troops left the throne room, leaving Megatron grinning darkly from his throne.

* * *

><p>Yay, I created conflict and tension! But believe it or not, now the romance can commence. I was also looking over my notes that I had written for this chapter, there was one quote I absolutely refused to use. In the actual show, when Megatron finds Smokescreen he says: Ah, yes, there's those <em>naughty<em> little Requiem Blaster Minicons. This (to me) sounds so creepy and sexually charged that I simply could not use it. Those poor Minicons...now I can't bear to imagine what Megatron does to them. Oh, in my notes I had basically outlined everything that happened in the episode Sacrifice of Transformers Armada. Since I was too lazy to type out _Megatron shoots Smokescreen_, I abbreviated it to _Megatron shoots Smokers._ So, if you smoke, beware I guess.

My rambling is done! Please review!


	8. Worried Sick

I love this story, even if this chapter may be a little dry in the beginning. I'm so excited to write the next chapter, you'll see why. I also want to thank everyone who has been reading and reviewing this story, it means a lot to me. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

><p><strong><span>8.<span>**

**Worried Sick**

Jetfire sighed loudly as he drummed his fingers on his desk. He sat in his office, a few empty cubes of high-grade scattered across his desk. He was attempting to analyze more of the data Starscream had given them, but it was difficult. While Sideswipe was doing most of the work, all the codes they needed to analyze were new to all of them. Jetfire knew that Optimus was planning a raid on the Decepticon base, but it would have to wait until all of Starscream's data was completely analyzed.

He looked up from the computer screen, trying to ignore a dull ache behind his optics as he stretched. It had been quite the week. Starscream had been double-crossed by Megatron, Optimus made him a part of the Autobot team, and Red Alert had managed to rebuild Smokescreen's body, except he went by Hoist now instead of Smokescreen. A lot had certainly happened, and not all of it was good, but not all of it was bad either.

Jetfire had brought his work to his office in order to get away from the drama that seemed to be suffocating the base. Ever since Starscream's arrival, Hotshot immediately delved into a fit. He simply did not trust the former Decepticon, he refused to acknowledge him as an Autobot, and instead he went ranting and raging around the base looking for anyone that agreed with him. Jetfire had had just about enough of it, even if he was grateful for the distraction Starscream's arrival had given him from his thoughts.

He shook his head just as there was a knock on his door. "Come in," he said as he quickly made himself look busy. He glanced up as Hotshot entered.

"Hey Jetfire, can I talk to you about something?" the yellow 'bot asked as he sat down across from Jetfire's desk.

"This something wouldn't happen to involve Starscream would it?"

Hotshot smiled guiltily, "Maybe."

The Autobot second in command sighed heavily, "What is it now, Hotshot?"

He shrugged, "Optimus said I should talk to you about learning to trust Starscream."

"Probably because he's sick of listening to you."

"Ouch, come on Jetfire, that was a low blow," Hotshot remarked, "I can't help it that I don't like the guy, I mean, he is Megatron's second in command."

"Well before we get into that, did Optimus say why he wanted you to talk to me?"

"He said you were trying to put up with someone you weren't quite sure you could put up with. Rae, I'm guessing."

Jetfire averted his gaze from Hotshot's when he said that. He cleared his throat, trying to keep himself composed as he replied, "Yeah, but that's different."

"That's what I said," he said as he glanced around his superior's desk, "Hey, are you drinking high-grade while working? It's against regulations to drink while on duty. Optimus would have your head."

"That's why you're not going to tell anybody," Jetfire remarked as he quickly disposed of the empty cubes on his desk.

Hotshot eyed him suspiciously before saying, "You know, now that I think of it, you haven't been yourself lately."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you've been doing your work in here rather than in the command center. You've never been one to lock yourself up inside your office all day. Not to mention you've been a bit more agitated. It wouldn't have to do with Starscream showing up here, would it?"

Jetfire frowned behind his facemask, "Starscream's arrival hasn't bothered me."

"Something going on between you and Rae?"

"That's none of your business."

"Come on, Jetfire," Hotshot whined, "I'm your friend. If it's bothering you then you should talk about it. It's not like I'm going to tell anybody."

"Oh really?" he mused skeptically.

"Quit treating me like a sparkling."

The space shuttle sighed again, defeated. "Rae left," he finally admitted.

"Left?" Hotshot repeated, confused, "You mean…permanently?"

"I don't know," Jetfire replied, "I mean, I hope not, but I don't know. It's too soon to say. She's only been gone a little over a week."

"Well, what happened? Why did she leave? I mean, if you're isolating yourself from everyone and trying to drown her away with high-grade," Hotshot paused for a moment, "How do you even drink high-grade with a facemask?"

Jetfire groaned, "It comes off, genius."

"Well…I don't have a facemask to know that…"

"Anyways," Jetfire said, trying to get back on topic, "I guess you can say we had a fight. She felt extremely guilty about what happened to Smoke—Hoist, she blamed herself. I tried to convince her to stay, but I wasn't thinking and I accidentally offended her."

"Nice going."

"Keep in mind I am your superior officer."

"I am your favorite subordinate, aren't I?"

"Knock it off, Hotshot."

The yellow 'bot sighed before asking, "Have you tried to contact her?"

"And say what?" he asked.

"Maybe, how you feel? I mean, if you're drinking high-grade and everything…"

"I guess I could say I'm sorry," he said, "And that I miss her more than I probably should. Heck, I'd do practically anything to get her to come back here."

Hotshot blinked. After a few moments he asked, "Are you sure you don't _like_ her?"

"Are your wires crossed, Hotshot? Optimus would kill me if I had a relationship with a human!"

"Hey, easy, I was just asking, not accusing."

Jetfire groaned and sat back in his chair, "Perhaps you should go."

"Come on, we haven't even talked about Starscream."

"Well, for starters, instead of disagreeing with him all the time, you could stand by Optimus' decision to allow Starscream to be an Autobot. No, we don't know if Starscream can be trusted, so we have to be careful. You don't have to like him, nobody is asking you to. But he is an Autobot now, and instead of moaning and groaning, why don't you show him how we really are as Autobots? He's least likely to betray us if we can prove how much better we are than Megatron and the rest of the Decepticons."

"I guess so—

"Optimus to Jetfire."

"Jetfire here."

"Meet me in my office; I have something I would like to discuss with you."

"Uh, yes sir. I'll be there in a bit. Jetfire out."

"Someone's in trouble…"

"Shut up," Jetfire stated as he got up from his desk and left his office to go meet with Optimus. He sighed with relief as he walked down the hallway, glad to be getting away from Hotshot. Even though he cared for the yellow 'bot like a brother, there was still a lot he had to learn.

He shook his head, trying to forget about him for now. Instead, he tried to figure out what Optimus wanted as he walked down the corridors of the base until he got to the Autobot leader's office. With a steady hand, he knocked on the door.

"Enter."

Jetfire did so, listening as the door closed behind him before he took a seat in front of Optimus' desk. "You wanted to see me, sir?" he asked.

"Yes," the Autobot leader replied, "I have a bit of an…odd request."

"It can't be any more odd than power-linking with you."

Optimus ignored his comment before saying, "I'm sure you're well aware that in his spare time, Red Alert does a fair amount of tinkering around."

"Oh no," Jetfire remarked, "Please don't tell me you want me to be the guinea pig for one of his inventions…"

"Guinea pig?"

"Uh, human expression."

"Well, anyways," Optimus continued, "Red Alert has invented a shape modifying chip. Once the chip is installed, the owner can use it to become smaller or larger according to the user's preference. I would like the chip tested."

"May I ask why, sir?"

"Well, if we ever need to deal with the humans, if we can adapt our size, it may help with maintaining positive relations."

"I think that's a load of slag," he said, earning a glare from Optimus. He sighed, "Alright, why do you want _me_ to test it? I mean, I am your second in command, if the chip has side effects—

"Extra precautions will be taken," Optimus assured him, "I have chosen you because of Rae."

"Rae?" Jetfire nearly spat her name out of his vocal processor, "Why does she have anything to do with this?"

"I know you are trying to help her out, and maybe if you weren't so large, you'd be less intimidating. If you could be on the same level as her, it might improve your friendship."

"Intimidating? That's insulting!"

"Will you do it?"

Jetfire sighed heavily before grumbling, "Yeah, yeah, I'll do it."

Optimus nodded, "Alright, but I must warn you."

"Here we go."

"Under no circumstances can you initiate a romantic relationship with Rae. You may not embrace her for extended lengths of time, you may not kiss her, and you absolutely may _not_ have sexual relations with her. If you do, you will be strictly punished."

Irritated, he replied, "Well, that _shouldn't_ be a problem considering Rae isn't even here anymore."

"She left?" Optimus asked.

"Over a week ago," Jetfire answered, "She blamed herself for what happened to Hoist and went back to her rapist ex-boyfriend. Or maybe he's her boyfriend again now. I don't know. I haven't heard from her."

Optimus stared at him, seeing how upset his second in command was. While he didn't understand what had happened or how Jetfire knew so much about Rae, he could clearly see how much it angered his subordinate. A person he was trying to protect from harm, a person he clearly cared about, had abandoned him and willingly put herself back in harm's way. He was angry, he was hurt, but there wasn't anything he could do. At this point, words wouldn't fix anything. Rae had to make her own decisions and Jetfire couldn't make them for her.

"For all I know, she could be lying dead in a…" he stopped.

"Jetfire."

"Yes sir?"

"I strongly recommend you put your anger aside and contact her. Feel free to meet with Red Alert on your own time. You are dismissed."

"Yes sir," Jetfire replied before standing up and leaving Optimus' office. Deciding to get it over with, he reported to the med bay to have the chip installed by Red Alert. Maybe afterwards he could contact Rae, but first, he had to figure out what to say.

He knew, however, the longer he waited the more danger Rae was in. He couldn't wait forever and neither could she.

* * *

><p>"What are you still doing here?" Jetfire asked when he got back to his office to resume his work.<p>

Hotshot shrugged, "I wasn't done talking to you yet."

"Do you know how much time you've wasted sitting there?"

"No more than you have sitting there drinking high-grades and pretending to analyze Starscream's data."

"Watch it," Jetfire warned as he sat down at his desk, "Aren't we finished here?"

"What did Optimus want?"

"Don't you have work to do?"

"I'm avoiding Starscream."

"Come on, Hotshot."

"Alright, I'll go if you tell me what Optimus wanted."

"He wants me to try out a shape modifying chip Red Alert created."

"Oh, Red was telling me about that. He said it'll allow a 'bot to shrink or grow as he pleases," Hotshot explained, "Why does Optimus want you to test it?"

"To see if it works."

"No slag, captain obvious!"

Jetfire made as if he rolled his optics, "He also thinks it'll help with my relationship with Rae."

"You know, when we first got to Earth and found the crashed Minicon spaceship and turned it into our base, we found some pretty interesting gadgets, one of those gadgets being pretender technology," Hotshot then chuckled, "I'm surprised Optimus hasn't told you about that, you and Rae could _really_ get along then since it allows you to become human and then turn back into a transformer."

"You're a real comedian, Hotshot," he remarked sarcastically, "Optimus already threatened a strict punishment if I should pursue Rae romantically."

"So she's forbidden fruit. 'Bots are more inclined to go after what they're told they can't have."

"Shut it," Jetfire said before asking, "Why was the pretender technology on the ship anyway?"

"Probably as precaution. If the Minicons had ended up on a planet with no machines, rather than having to scan an organic life form to blend in, they could've used the pretender technology to disguise themselves without having the trans-organic side effects. We all know what happens when a transformer scans an organic life form."

"Yeah, yeah," Jetfire remarked, "They become partly organic themselves, trans-organics. It can lead to insanity. Did you confiscate the technology?"

"You bet, Red Alert keeps it in the med bay."

For a brief moment, Jetfire wondered if he could use the technology to convince Rae to come back. He immediately banished the thought from his mind; Optimus would never let him do such a thing. He could not force anyone to come to the base if they did not want to, not unless they were a prisoner. He looked back up at Hotshot before saying, "Well, as interesting as that is, it's back to work for you."

Hotshot groaned before finally getting up and returning to his duties. Jetfire watched the door close behind him before getting back to work himself.

* * *

><p>That night, Jetfire was more than grateful to collapse onto his berth, ready for recharge to envelope him. However, as tired as he was, sleep didn't come easy. He growled as he stared up at the ceiling, his optics creating a soft golden glow in the room.<p>

This was becoming a nightly routine. He would lie awake worrying endlessly about Rae until he finally fell asleep. He imagined some faceless man beating her, raping her, he imagined her lying naked and sobbing somewhere, calling out for him, begging for him to save her.

He had walked away from her.

"Damn it," he cursed as he sat up on the berth, "This is ridiculous. She's fine, Jetfire. Stop worrying about her. She hasn't contacted you because she's mad at you. Now get some slagging sleep." He lay back down and let his optics go offline. He waited for recharge to rescue him.

"_If she comes back, she'll be your charge."_

"_What? But Optimus, I'm second in command of the Autobots, I'm not a babysitter."_

"_I'm not asking you to babysit her, Jetfire. Just help her out if she needs help. I think what she could really use is a friend."_

"_Optimus, believe me when I say that I would really like to know what's going on with her and help her out, but do you really think that I'm the guy that's best suited for the job?"_

"_If you feel like she needs to be rescued from something, wouldn't you feel better knowing that you could be the one to save her life?"_

But recharge never came.

* * *

><p>After two more days, Jetfire couldn't take it anymore. Rae was overwhelming nearly every thought he dared to think, if he was able to recharge, she was in every single dream. As he downed another cube of high-grade and readjusted his facemask back over his face, he realized that he was worried sick about her. His mind would never be at ease unless he knew that precious heart of hers was still beating, until he knew that she was okay. And he didn't care how mad she got, he didn't care what she thought of him, he was contacting her today. His spark couldn't wait any longer.<p>

When his shift finally ended, he wandered out of the base. When he finally stopped walking, he realized he was standing at the place where he and Rae used to watch the sunset together. He sighed heavily. "Damn it," he breathed, "I shouldn't miss her this much."

His mind reeled as he tried to piece together just what he was going to say to Rae. Would he say he was sorry? Should he just get to the point and ask how she was? Would she be mad at him? If she was angry then at least she was okay. He shook his head trying to ease his nerves and his mind as he looked to the sunset. Why was it so damn hard to talk to her?

He heard the familiar ping that he was receiving a call on his comlink. "Perfect," he mumbled irritated, "Knowing my luck, that'll be Optimus asking me to do patrol." He let the call ping a few more times before he finally answered nonchalantly, "Jetfire here."

"Hey big guy."

He nearly fell over. "Rae!" he shouted, he felt sick and elated at once. Sick with relief, elated that he was finally talking to her again. "Rae," he said again to reassure himself that he was really talking to her. He had to restrain himself from asking her a million questions at once.

"You know how you said I can contact you in case of an emergency?"

He paused, concern replacing his nausea. "Yes…" he said slowly. He didn't want this conversation to end.

"I think I've got a bit of an emergency."

Something inside of him stopped. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice softer than usual.

"I miss you," she said and he thought he heard her sniffle, "And not just a little. I miss you like _crazy_."

He felt like melting. He hadn't been the only one going crazy, she had been going just as crazy as he was. "Oh Rae," he breathed, "Come back. End all of this misery and _come back_."

"It would be too hard, Jetfire."

He wanted her to say his name again as he asked, "Even if I begged? Do you know how much I miss you, Rae?"

He heard her smile before she sighed. "Just so you know," she said, "I'm not mad at you. I should have told you everything going on between Micah and me right from the start."

"I'll forgive you if you come back."

He heard a door open and close. "I got to go, Micah just got home," she said in a quieter voice.

"Don't go, Rae."

"I'm going out with my friends Friday night. We're going to the nightclub Caliburst gave me a ride to. If I get the chance, I'll sneak away and come to the base and see you."

"Do you promise?"

"I will try my best, that I'll promise," she said.

"Be safe, Rae."

"Always," she replied and he listened as she hung up.

He felt his spark catch in his throat as he tried to recompose himself. What was he doing acting this way, feeling this way? He shook his head. He should have asked her if she was alright. Jetfire sighed as he listened to the dial tone a moment longer before ending the call himself.

If he could, he would go to the nightclub Rae was planning on going to Friday night and bring her back to the base himself. A thought jolted him and he looked up, his optics wide. Even though there would be consequences, if he was extremely cautious, there was a way he _could_…

Jetfire would steal the pretender technology.

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><p>Dun, dun, dun. Please review!<p> 


	9. The Stranger

I apologize for the wait when it came to updating this. Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter, I hope you enjoy this one. Though, I think you guys will. I also apologize for the length of this chapter. There was no way I could make it shorter.

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><p><strong><span>9.<span>**

**The Stranger**

Information about the pretender technology glared from his computer screen as Jetfire paced back and forth in his quarters. He had scoured the Autobot archives looking for whatever possible information he could find on the technology. He read about what it looked like, how it worked, possible side effects of using the technology. So far, nothing had changed his mind about stealing it. He paced now, trying to think of just _how_ he could possibly steal it and get away with it.

The following evening he had late night patrol duty. While everyone else took the time to recharge, he would be in charge of the security of the base. It would be his only opportunity to successfully take the pretender technology without anyone noticing. However, he felt he couldn't take it without Red Alert eventually noticing that it was missing. A duplicate would have to be made, which wouldn't be a problem.

His problem was he still didn't know exactly where in the med bay the pretender technology was and he wouldn't have time to snoop around the med bay to figure out where it was. Somehow, without looking suspicious, he would need Red Alert to tell him where it was hidden. Jetfire sighed heavily, that would be the hardest part of the process…but he had an idea.

"Primus, Rae, the things I do for you," he muttered under his breath before leaving his quarters and heading to the med bay.

* * *

><p>Red Alert looked up surprised when Jetfire waltzed into the med bay late that evening. He checked the time before asking, "Something wrong, Jetfire? It's late, you should be recharging."<p>

"That chip you installed earlier, it's bothering me."

"Bothering you?" Red Alert asked quizzically.

"I've been feeling kind of dizzy ever since you installed it," Jetfire lied.

"That might not be the chip," the Autobot medic stated with a sigh, "Take a seat over there, I'll do a couple scans to make sure your systems aren't rejecting it."

Jetfire complied and sat down on a berth. He watched as Red Alert went over to a cabinet and took out a small device before turning back to him. "Hold still," the medic ordered as he proceeded to run a scan.

The second in command sighed before saying, "I still don't know why Optimus chose me to be your test subject. I mean, why not Hotshot?"

"Hotshot doesn't have a charge."

"When I told him about the chip, he mentioned something about you guys finding pretender technology when you discovered this crashed ship."

"There's no need for anyone to use that."

"Well, if there's no need for that, then there's no need for this chip."

"I merely wish to see if the chip works. It could come in handy you know."

"Does the pretender technology work?"

"Probably, but it's never actually been tested. We haven't had a reason to test it."

Jetfire didn't dare say anything else for fear that Red Alert would ask him why he was so curious about the technology. Instead, he maintained his silence as the medical officer finished the scans. He watched as Red Alert put the device away before asking, "Aren't you going to tell me if anything is wrong?"

"Whatever dizziness you're experiencing is in your head," Red Alert remarked, "There's absolutely nothing wrong with you."

"So I'm free to go then?" Jetfire asked, knowing that he had yet to find out where the medical officer was hiding the pretender technology.

"In a moment," Red Alert stated as he turned back to his superior officer, "Just how much did Hotshot tell you about the pretender technology?"

Jetfire's processor was screaming in alarm that he had inquired too far. Fear gnawed through his circuits as he did his best to keep a calm demeanor. "Not that much," he replied carefully, "He just mentioned you had it. I don't even know where you keep it."

"I keep it in here," Red Alert said, gesturing to a small cabinet, "I don't think it's a big deal if you know. I'll just make it perfectly clear that no one is authorized to use it unless Optimus says so."

"I have no reason to use it," Jetfire casually remarked as he stood from the berth, "Thanks for checking me out."

"Yeah, no problem, have a good night."

"You too, Red," Jetfire stated before slipping out of the med bay, mission accomplished.

* * *

><p>Despite the fact the duplicate of the pretender technology had been easy to make, it now weighed heavy in Jetfire's subspace pocket. He tried to keep second thoughts to a minimum as he walked through the long halls of the Autobot base, barely concentrating on his patrol. He didn't want anybody around and he especially wanted to make sure the med bay was empty. As he made his rounds, Jetfire was relieved to discover everyone had retired to their quarters for the night.<p>

The Autobot second in command vented a heavy sigh. It had been rather challenging, but he managed to sabotage the surveillance cameras. He had rigged them to simultaneously shut down for approximately fifteen minutes before they would reboot. Jetfire figured that would be just enough time to slip into the med bay, take the pretender technology and replace it with the duplicate, and then leave.

A ping across his comm. indicated there was a security failure, that systems would restart on their own after recalibration. Taking that as his cue, Jetfire headed for the med bay.

It felt like one of the longest walks of his life, but when the Autobot reached the med bay, he casually typed in the key code for the door to open. The door yawned open revealing an empty medical bay and Jetfire entered. He didn't waste any time as he went over to the cabinet where Red Alert said the pretender technology was and opened it. It required a bit of rummaging around, but Jetfire finally found the technology. He took it out and set it on top of the cabinet before placing the duplicate in its place. Quietly, he shut the cabinet and stashed the real technology inside his subspace. He glanced around quickly, and after reassuring himself that he was alone and that no one had witnessed his thievery, he left the med bay.

"_I'll give it back,"_ he promised himself as he walked along a lonely corridor, _"Once I know Rae is safe."_

* * *

><p><em>"Micah, no!"<em>

_The spine-chilling sound of bone cracking against bone filled the room._

_"You're a dirty whore!"_

_"I didn't do anything!" a broken voice pleaded._

_"Someone said they saw you with Shawn the other night."_

_"I was here, Micah. What's wrong with you? You've never been like this before!"_

_His fist came down again._

Rae opened her eyes. She blinked a few times, breathing shallow as the post-sleep haze slowly faded away. Warm sunlight was streaming through the open window and across the bed. Birds chirped without worry, their melodies occasionally faltered by car horns and vehicles driving past with loud mufflers.

A heavy sigh left Rae's nostrils as she stared across the empty span of mattress where Micah slept. He wasn't there, gone to work, his days beginning at 7am. She rolled over before sitting up and easing herself off the bed. She ruffled her hair as she stood up before heading into the bathroom. Rae stripped out of her pajamas, letting them fall into a heap on the floor before she stepped into the shower and pulled the curtain closed.

Without much enthusiasm, she went through the process of cleaning herself. She started with washing her hair before moving on to shave the appropriate areas of her body. When she finished that, she set her razor down before picking up the bar of soap. As the suds made little clouds that streaked down her body, Rae couldn't help but count the bruises on her body. There were a few small ones on her right arm just above her elbow; there was a big, fist-shaped one on her abdomen.

Rae set the soap aside as she allowed the water to rinse away the suds. Life sure wasn't what she had expected it to be since returning to Micah. But, what _had_ she expected? That Micah would suddenly and magically change for the better? That he would never lie, never cheat, never yell, never fight, never _hurt_ her again? He, the man she loved the most, had raped her, abused her, and was nearly holding her captive. She was forbidden from going anywhere besides work and school, Micah reassured her that he had a lot of friends that he had keeping an eye on her when he couldn't, if she so much as tried to leave or tried to love someone else…Rae didn't even want to imagine what Micah would do.

She had to give him a copy of her work schedule every week. He would call at the beginning of every shift to make sure she was there. Rae felt like she was suffocating. Micah was the one who had done wrong, not her, but it was her that was paying for it. Throughout their entire relationship, she always knew Micah was violently angry. He started fights in bars, he started fights with her, but had never actually harmed her, that was, until now.

He would go through her phone to see who her contacts were, to see who she was talking to, he went through every email account she had, both personal and school-related. Rae told him that he didn't need to be afraid that she would cheat on him, but no matter much she begged and pleaded, he wouldn't listen. Instead, it seemed, his blows stiffened and his controlling grip tightened.

_"_…_you're playing with fire if you go back to Micah. You may love him, but you haven't learned that you don't need him."_

"Jetfire," she breathed as tears slid from the corners of her eyes and down her cheeks, the running water from the shower masking them.

Even though she desperately missed the Autobot, she couldn't see herself going back to the Autobot base to live. She felt like she had burned too many bridges. And with the way Micah monitored her now, it would be nearly impossible to visit.

But tonight…

Micah had wanted to take her out to the club tonight. Rae knew it was because he wanted to drink and see his friends, but if he was distracted…

"I will try my best to come see you, Jetfire," she stated as she turned off the water and wrapped a towel around herself, "For both our sakes."

* * *

><p>When Caliburst was summoned by Jetfire to his personal quarters, the Minicon knew that whatever it was the Autobot deputy commander wanted, it more than likely concerned Rae. He was not surprised when he entered only to see the Autobot was clearly distressed about something. The Minicon waited for the door to close before saying, <strong>"You wished to speak with me?"<strong>

Jetfire vented a sigh before saying, "Yes, look, whatever is said in this room needs to stay in this room. Call it classified, it's that important."

Caliburst tilted his head to the side, **"Have you done something wrong?"**

Jetfire stiffened before laughing weakly, "What makes you ask that?"

The Minicon shrugged, **"You're clearly agitated."**

"Look," the Autobot remarked, "Do you _promise_ not to tell anyone?"

**"I suppose."**

"Were you aware that when this ship crash landed on Earth that it was carrying pretender technology?"

**"Yes,"**Caliburst answered, **"We brought it in case we came into contact with a planet that lacked machinery. We didn't want to scan organic life-forms, it is too risky."**

"Yes, I know, you scan something organic to transform into, you become partly organic and you can never reverse it. The pretender technology allows you to become an organic safely."

**"You discovered it?"**

"I stole it," Jetfire admitted, "Optimus and the others found it prior to my arrival here. I was hoping I could use it to convince Rae to come back to the base."

**"You cannot force her to come back."**

"I know, I'm not trying to. It's just…I want her here where I know she's safe."

**"Perhaps you care too strongly for the girl? I miss her company as well, commander, but don't you think you might be taking this too far?"**

"She needs to know that she is welcome here, that she is not responsible for the bad things that happened to Hoist. She doesn't know he lived, she doesn't know Starscream betrayed the Decepticons and brought the Star-Saber Sword and Skyboom Shield here so that we have protection against the Requiem Blaster. She needs to know that things are okay."

**"A comm. call wouldn't have sufficed?"**

"I'm afraid if I call, Micah will catch her talking to me and possibly punish her. I need to do this in person."

This time, Caliburst vented a sigh, **"I suppose you need my help?"**

"I spoke with Rae earlier this week; she said she is going to that nightclub you took her to tonight. She said she would try to sneak away, but I doubt she will be able to. All I'm asking is that you will give me a ride there."

**"I will help you, but if you get caught, I had no knowledge that you stole the pretender technology."**

"You got it, Caliburst. Thanks a million."

**"You are welcome, but before I report back to my duties, I would suggest one thing."**

"What's that?"

**"You're going to need some clothes." **And with that, the Minicon left the room.

* * *

><p>"Oh, that's so cute!" Alexis remarked as Jetfire explained his story to them.<p>

"So, Optimus is really letting you use the pretender technology in order to make sure Rae is safe?" Rad questioned.

"Yes," Jetfire replied, optics shifting nervously, "I have a way with the big guy."

"This is so cool!" Fred exclaimed excitedly, "I would've never guessed you guys could become human!"

"Keep it down!" Jetfire remarked, "Optimus has strict orders that nobody else knows about this except us in this room."

"No worries, dude," Carlos stated, "Our lips are sealed." And he pretended to zip them shut.

"So, clothes?" Alexis asked, getting things back on topic.

"Yes," the Autobot stated.

"Well, I think we have enough money between us to buy you some outfits," Alexis said, "Thing of it is, we're going to have to get your sizes. So, you're going to have to use that technology to become human so I can get your measurements."

"Wait, what if he's naked after he uses it?" Billy asked.

"Uh…" Jetfire said as he took out the technology, "Cover your eyes." He waited as the kids did so before looking to the pretender technology. The technology itself was pretty simplistic in design, two golden bracelets that fastened to one's wrists. Carefully, he slid a bracelet on each wrist and watched as each automatically tightened. _I hope this works…_

He pressed his wrists together, causing a brilliant white-light to suddenly engulf him. The light only lasted momentarily. When he looked out, Jetfire noticed that everything was considerably smaller. He blinked as the humans looked at him, dumbfounded looks on their faces. However, Billy was quick to recover as he mused, "Well, at least you're not naked."

Jetfire looked himself over. His armor had adapted to the transformation and he was wearing a suit of his armor. He wore a helmet that resembled his helm, shaggy locks of fiery red hair protruded from the helmet and streaked across his forehead. A mask that was connected to the helmet covered his mouth. After a moment, he looked back to the humans saying, "Looks like it worked."

Alexis nodded, "Yes, but you're going to have to take off some of that armor if I'm going to get accurate measurements."

"Right," Jetfire mused as he eased the helmet off his head, revealing his mouth. He had a stubbly goatee that matched his fiery red hair. However, it was when he heard the kids gasp that he immediately slapped a hand over his mouth.

"It's okay!" Alexis said, "We won't tell anyone, will we guys?"

"N-No," Fred stated.

Slowly, Jetfire released his hand, revealing the ominous scar that split through the right side of his lips, permanently disfiguring him. The scar started just above the right side of his top lip and carved and ugly path downwards to his chin. The Autobot studied their reactions carefully before asking, "Think my chances are blown with Rae if she sees this?"

"No, not at all," Rad stated, "It's not that bad."

"Really, it's not," Alexis added, trying to reassure him, "Now come on, you need to take the armor off your top."

Jetfire complied, taking off the appropriate amounts of armor so that Alexis could take the measurements. Less than fifteen minutes later, she had all the measurements she needed and allowed Jetfire to put his armor back on and return to his true form, face concealed once again.

"Okay, we'll go get some stuff for you," Alexis said, "Anything particular that you want?"

Jetfire thought about it for a moment before saying, "Something nice."

"Oh, I just thought of something," Carlos stated, "You're probably going to need an alias, just in case. Maybe Jeffrey?"

Jetfire shrugged, "That'll work, I suppose. But let's go get my clothes, okay?"

"We're on it!"

The Autobot second in command watched as the kids scampered out of the room. He vented a sigh. He hoped all this trouble would be worth it.

* * *

><p>Rae felt relieved once she stepped inside of the nightclub, Jenna and Michelle at her sides, Micah close behind. It felt normal, her, Jenna, Michelle, and Micah used to go out like this frequently prior to when Micah cheated. But now, it was an escape. Micah couldn't hurt her here. She might be able to get away from him here.<p>

"Come on!" Michelle exclaimed as she grabbed Rae's wrist as well as Jenna's, "Let's go dance!"

Rae glanced back at Micah who nodded and said, "I'll be at the bar."

They parted ways, Rae felt grateful that his overbearing presence was off her. Michelle led them onto the dance floor, wanting to get into the heart of the crowd. Rae watched as her friends bumped against and swayed with the rest of the dancers. She attempted to look like she was having a good time, but Rae just couldn't get into it. She was grateful that Jenna and Michelle weren't noticing.

A sudden jerk to her arm caught her attention. Rae looked over to see Jenna had pulled her arm. She was pointing to the entrance, excitement dancing across her eyes as she said, "_Look_ at that _hunk_!"

Rae saw a striking red-head make his way into the club. She had to do a double take. Whoever the man was, he was absolutely stunning. He was wearing a dressy black shirt; he had the sleeves rolled up to the elbow. The black shirt was loosely draped over gray jeans. "Wow…" Rae breathed. She quickly shook her head before turning to Jenna, "Well, he hasn't seen us yet. You're single, go mingle!" And she gave her a small push towards the man.

"Finders, keepers!" Jenna exclaimed as she went to go talk with the man.

Rae shook her head and went to go make conversation with Michelle when an arm wrapped around her waist and hips grinded against her backside. Cold lips pressed against her neck before a voice whispered, "How's Ra-Ra?"

"Fine, Micah," she replied, unwillingly dancing with him. She sighed; hoping things were going well with Jenna.

* * *

><p>Jetfire saw the female approaching too late. He had managed to escape a few since entering the club, but it seemed like it would be impossible to avoid this one. He was rather surprised about all the attention he was getting from the females, they weren't horrified by his scar, instead it seemed they were more intrigued by it. He watched as the female stopped in front of him, a smirk on her face as she said, "Hi, my name's Jenna."<p>

"Uh…Jeffrey," Jetfire replied, not liking the way the name rolled off his tongue.

"Are you an alien?"

The Autobot thought he would experience a spark attack. She couldn't possibly know, could she? He swallowed as he tried to keep his cool. "Uh…no, why?"

"You just abducted my heart."

Jetfire was so relieved that he couldn't roll his eyes at the awful pickup line. Instead, he faked a laugh and asked, "What's a nice girl like you doing at a place like this?"

"Hanging out with my friends, I don't get to see them much, they're the best people in the world," Jenna stated, "What about you, what are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for someone."

She grinned, "Me too."

Jetfire wanted to face-palm, that wasn't what he had meant. Somehow, he had to get rid of this girl so that he could find Rae. He didn't have time to flirt. However, before he could speak, Jenna grabbed him by the arm and said, "Come on, I'll introduce you to my friends."

He stumbled along behind her as she practically dragged him over to the bar. "Hey guys, this is Jeffrey," he heard her say, "This is Michelle and this is Rae."

Jetfire looked up. Seated at the bar next to Michelle was indeed Rae. He watched as Rae gave a small smile and he felt relief melt through his synthetic heart. He had _finally_ found her. Now all he had to do was somehow get her alone. Then he could tell her who he was and hopefully take her back to the base.

"Nice to meet you, Jeffrey," Rae stated, "Jenna forgot a person though." And to Jetfire's horror, she gestured to the man seated beside her before saying, "This is my boyfriend, Micah."

Micah turned upon hearing his name. He gave Jetfire a smile before saying, "Hey man, how's it going?"

The Autobot refrained from saying what he really wanted to and instead said, "Just fine. How come you guys aren't dancing?"

"Well, we were," Rae replied, to his delight, "But Jenna saw a hunk across the room and decided to test her flirting skills."

He watched a flicker of anger cross Micah's eyes. He leaned down and whispered something to Rae, causing a look of worry to go across her face.

"Well, we can go dance if you want," Michelle suggested.

"You guys go ahead," Micah said, "I got to take a leak. Rae, you stay here."

"And if I don't?"

"You know," he said before sliding off the bar stool and heading towards the men's room.

A defeated look went across Rae's face as she turned back towards the bar, waving her hand dismissively, "You guys go ahead."

"You coming?" Jenna asked.

Jetfire looked to her before saying, "I'll be along in a minute. I just want a quick drink."

Jenna nodded and Jetfire watched as she and Michelle disappeared onto the dance floor. He eyed Rae for a moment before he sat down next to her. "Everything alright?" he asked.

She looked to him before saying, "You might better get out of here before Micah sees you alone with me. He's extremely jealous. He wouldn't hesitate to bust you up."

"I'd like to see him try," Jetfire replied, gently. He felt Rae's eyes studying him and he gave a small smile.

"Your voice sounds familiar," she said.

He fought back a smirk before saying, "You know, this really isn't my kind of place. I'm more of a nature kind of guy. What do you say we step outside and get some fresh air before Micah gets back?"

Rae glanced at the bathroom and then back to him. It would be much easier ditching a complete stranger than it would be ditching Micah in order to sneak away to the Autobot base. "Alright," she said as she stood up. "Maybe you could give me a ride somewhere," she suggested as they made their way towards the exit.

Not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable, Jetfire didn't dare touch her. Instead he led her over to Caliburst who was parked in the parking lot. He watched as Rae's step faltered before she continued forward. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"No," Rae stated as she examined the motorcycle more closely, "It's just that…I used to have a motorcycle that looked a lot like this one."

Jetfire shrugged, "Want to go for a ride? You said something about getting a ride somewhere."

She nodded and Jetfire handed her an extra helmet. He climbed on the bike first. Once he was situated, he felt Rae climb on behind him. However, the Autobot wasn't sure how to feel when she suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist, holding onto him.

The engine started and Caliburst raced out of the parking lot. As they raced through the streets together, Jetfire turned his head towards Rae and asked, "Where did you want to go?"

"Just take me up to the Cosmo-Scope Research Center, I can walk from there."

"There's nothing out there!"

"That's what you think!"

He smiled as they raced forward. About twenty minutes later, they stopped at the base of the mountain. Caliburst came to a stop before powering down. Jetfire removed his helmet and Rae did the same. He heard a breath catch in her throat before she breathed, "The stars are really pretty out here."

"Yeah, kind of like you."

_"Why brain? Why? You got to cut this out, Jetfire!"_

Rae tossed a smirk at him, "My, was that a flirt, Jeffrey?"

He smiled involuntarily. "No, of course not," he replied, "I can't flirt with you, Jenna would get mad."

She laughed as she got off the bike and set the helmet down. She stood and looked at him as he sat on the motorcycle. "She wouldn't be the only one to get mad," she said.

Jetfire shrugged, putting the extra helmet away, "Micah's going to be mad anyway, considering you left."

"He's on the way out."

"Oh really?"

"It's either him or me, depending on if I can find a way out."

"I'm sure you've got friends somewhere that'd help you out."

"I don't know, I got to talk with them first."

Jetfire shrugged, looking her over. He needed to tell her the truth and there was no better time than now. "You don't mind if I stick around here for a little bit longer, do you?" he asked.

"No, I'm not in a hurry. Micah won't know I'm here."

He got up from the bike and set his helmet aside. "That's no good," Jetfire remarked as he came up beside her, "He won't know where to go to get his butt kicked."

She smiled, "So Jeffrey, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a soldier."

"Is that how you got the scar?" she asked.

He blinked, "Yeah, I got that in battle." He flinched in surprise when she suddenly reached up and touched it. He stifled a breath as her fingertips, soft and feather-like, gently traced down the length of his scar.

"I don't think you should be ashamed of it," Rae said as her hand fell back to her side.

"No?"

"Definitely not, it shows you're a hero."

He smiled, "You're really sweet, Rae."

She returned the smile as a calm silence passed between them. Jetfire went to speak up, figuring now was his moment to tell the truth, but Rae beat him to the punch as she said softly, "You remind me of someone I know."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, but you wouldn't know him."

"I think I may have a better idea than what you realize."

She giggled and shook her head, "No. There's no way."

"Try me."

She shook her head again, "I just feel like I've known you all my life."

"My, was that a flirt, Rae?"

_"Jetfire, knock it off. Do not forget that Optimus will severely punish you."_

She blushed before leaning closer to him and sliding her hand into his. "Do you think Jenna will be mad?" she asked.

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her," Jetfire stated and then paused. He looked her over for what was probably the millionth time, but it seemed like no matter how much he looked, he couldn't get enough. Her hair seemed like it was glowing in the starlight, her eyes shimmered beautifully. He tightened his hand around hers; her skin was so soft, so warm. For a moment, he wondered what she tasted like.

_"No, Jetfire. No. Do not lose control of yourself."_

"That's true," Rae replied, looking up at him.

_"You cannot want her, Jetfire. Tell her the truth; do not disobey a direct order!"_

But he couldn't fight it. The way she looked, the way he felt, all of it was overwhelming. Before he had a chance to stop himself, before he had a chance to realize what he was doing, he had stepped forward and gently tilted her face to his.

Rae felt a breath catch in her throat as warm, gentle, but hungry lips met hers. Her mind and heart were spiraling out of control. All of this, none of it was supposed to happen. But this stranger, this _beautiful_, random stranger with the mysterious scar on his face, he was threatening to sweep her off her feet in just one night.

She tried to keep her thoughts off sex as he pulled her closer, cupping her face between his hands as he deepened the kiss. She pressed her body closer to his as she wrapped an arm around his waist, her other hand became lost in his fiery locks of hair.

"Rae," he breathed when they finally pulled away.

"Don't say you have to go," she said, looking up into his whiskey-colored eyes, realizing how much taller than her he was.

"I'm sorry," he said as he let her go and turned back to Caliburst.

"Wait!" she said, "Can I see you again?"

He picked up his helmet as he looked back to her. He gave a small smile. "I'll find you," he said. And with that, he put on the helmet and sped off on Caliburst.

However, as Jetfire left Rae in the distance, he couldn't mistake the guilt that gripped his spark. Yes, for now she was safe and he would probably be seeing her again very soon, unbeknownst to her. However, that didn't change the fact that he had not only stolen the pretender technology, but he had also disobeyed Optimus' direct orders not to initiate a romantic relationship with her.

**"I take it that wasn't part of the plan?"**

"No," Jetfire admitted, "It definitely wasn't."

**"What happens now?"**

"I'm not sure."

**"I still think you need to tell her the truth."**

Jetfire swallowed as they entered the base, but as he thought back to how he had kissed Rae, he couldn't help but smile. Even though guilt was nearly overpowering him, so was an unfamiliar euphoric emotion.

An emotion that terrified him right down to the core.

* * *

><p>Please review!<p> 


	10. Like Sparks Flying

So, I started classes back up today and even though I've only had two classes so far, my schedule might actually be relaxed enough that I can update rather frequently. But don't take my word for that. I have three classes tomorrow that I still have to get through. Anyways, enjoy this chapter!

* * *

><p><strong><span>10.<span>**

**Like Sparks Flying**

Rae felt like dancing as she entered the Autobot base.

Her heart felt like it was going to beat right out of her chest. She wasn't sure where it had soared to, but it didn't matter, the night had been great. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this happy. In her mind, she thanked the stranger over and over again for allowing her to escape not just from the nightclub, but from reality as well. Rae wasn't sure if she'd ever see him again, but she would enjoy the feeling of his lips pressed against hers while she could.

"Jetfire?" she called as she walked into the base, "Caliburst?"

No one replied, however, that didn't surprise Rae. It was after midnight and she hadn't expected anyone to wait up for her. She had to tell herself to calm down as she tried to figure out what to do, her heart seemed like it was fluttering violently inside of her chest. She took a deep, slow breath. _"Get a grip,"_ she told herself, _"It was just a kiss."_ She glanced around. There was a note on the opposite wall. Curious, Rae went over and took it down.

_Hey Ra-Ra,  
>I don't know if you'll make it here tonight, but if you do, I really want to see you. Come to my quarters, I left the door ajar so you can come in. I don't have to be awake early tomorrow, so wake me up if I'm recharging. We've got a lot of catching up to do.<br>Your favorite Autobot,  
>Jetfire<em>

Rae smiled as she shook her head. At least she knew where she was going now.

* * *

><p>Jetfire couldn't sleep and he wasn't sure why he was even trying.<p>

He rolled over for what was probably the millionth time since he laid down on his berth. He wasn't one to toss and turn, but he felt haunted. He could still feel Rae's touch ghosting over him, her taste still sweet on his glossa, her scent still teasing his olfactory sensors. He simply could not forget her, the very image of her beautiful face seared into his processor.

Jetfire tried to imagine the worst possible punishment that Optimus could inflict upon him. He imagined himself dying by the Prime's hand, he imagined himself restarting his life as if he had been stripped of title and rank. There was no way that his commander could find out what he had done. If he did find out, he knew it would be the end of him, the very end.

"_Damn it to the Pit, Jetfire, what have you gotten yourself into?"_

He tried to reason with himself. Rae was his charge. Rae was much more mature than the other kids. She was a woman, though not fully grown up, but she was well on her way. He knew her much better than some of the Autobots. Was it that taboo if he did in fact like her? There were no femmes, they both possessed the ability to think and reason and love. She was just human and he a giant robot. But, under all his armor, deep down inside, wasn't he just as soft?

Jetfire vented a sigh, _"Okay, so maybe I like her. But I need to stop liking her so much."_

The deputy commander knew that he had to tell Rae the truth. It still wasn't too late. Yes, he had kissed her and flirted with her to the point of no return, but if he told Rae the truth now, they could move on. But how would he explain himself? Jetfire could see it now.

"_Hey Rae, so let's talk about earlier. You know that cute red head you made out with about half an hour ago? Yeah, big surprise, that was me! I didn't mean to mess with your feelings; I just got caught up in the moment. Can't really explain myself, I'm not sure what came over me. You're a really great kisser, though, but it can't ever happen again or it's my head. Hope you're not too mad!"_

Jetfire groaned. He knew he had the option of pretending it never happened. He never had to seek Rae out again in his human form. If he never saw her again in that form, she would eventually come to the conclusion that Jeffrey had abandoned her. She would never know. Optimus would never know. The truth would be safe. He would never have to explain just what compelled him to kiss her.

There were all kinds of legends on Cybertron that tried to explain foolish romance, but none of them appealed to the second in command at the moment. There was, however, a known truth about romance. When one found their spark-mate, they would know it. They would know it in their sparks and minds, though, no one was sure how they knew. Jetfire had asked Optimus about it when he figured out Elita was his spark-mate, but even the great Autobot leader had difficulty explaining the connection.

"_You don't know right away,"_ he recalled Optimus saying, _"But, after a while, there's a trigger between the two of you, like sparks flying, and it just hits you. You'll know it when you feel it, Jetfire."_

For a fleeting moment, Jetfire considered the possibility that Rae was his spark-mate. He knew he would've never engaged a human as he had otherwise, let alone disobey Optimus' direct orders not to romantically pursue one. He shook his head. The attraction was probably nothing more than physical and he didn't need to try and figure it out right now. He willed himself to stop thinking.

"Are you awake, Jetfire?"

The Autobot immediately sat up at the sound of Rae's voice. "Rae," he exclaimed as he noticed her standing near the door, "You're here."

"I told you I'd try to sneak away," she remarked with a confident grin, "I had a rather nice ride here, if I don't say so myself."

Jetfire felt guilty letting his optics roam her form. In his defense, he didn't think it was fair that she was wearing a low cut, pink blouse with a black miniskirt. He tried to avert his gaze as he got up from the berth and went over to her before kneeling down in front of her. "So you managed to ditch Micah?" he asked, trying to hide his excitement over the fact she was here.

"Yes, but he isn't happy. I had to turn my phone off because he's been texting and calling. He wants to know where I am."

"Tell him you're hanging out with a giant alien robot."

Rae laughed, "He wouldn't believe me."

"At least you wouldn't be lying," he stated as he knelt down and extended his hand towards her, "Are you tired?"

"Not really," she replied as she climbed onto his hand, "I'm trying to come down from a euphoric high."

"Something happen that I should know about?" he asked as he picked her up and headed back over to his berth where he sat down.

She settled herself in his hand before asking, "It's right for me to assume that transformers date and are sexual creatures since you feel emotions, am I correct?"

"Well, we may not have a biological instinct to reproduce in order to repopulate our species," Jetfire clarified, "But yes, we have emotional, physical, and sexual relationships."

"So, have you ever met someone and just have it go really well? Like, you can't stop thinking about them, or forget their touch? And no matter how risky it is or how much trouble you may get into, you want to see that person again?"

"Yes," Jetfire replied, "I know _exactly_ what you're talking about."

"Okay, because that happened to me tonight."

"You met someone?"

"Yes, he helped me get away from Micah and the nightclub," Rae confessed, "He was very sweet and kind and he had a good sense of humor. He was extremely good looking and he had this scar..."

Jetfire was glad he had his facemask to hide his smile, "Do you think you'll see him again?"

"I want to, but I don't know. I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't, I mean, before I met Micah I seemed to be very good at repulsing men rather than attracting them."

"I don't think you _repulsed_ them," Jetfire stated as he lay back, setting Rae upon his chest, "How are things going with Micah?"

Rae refrained from frowning at the way he seemed to spit his name out. "I'm still alive," she retorted as she crossed her arms.

"Rae, is he hurting you?"

"No," she quickly lied.

"Okay," Jetfire said, "Then explain why you didn't want to talk on the phone while Micah was there. You had to sneak away in order to come here."

"Micah doesn't trust me," Rae clarified, "He's afraid I'm going to walk out on him again."

"Let me guess, he won't let you go anywhere or do anything without him?"

"He's…he's a bit controlling," she admitted slowly, "Look, I am trying to get away from him, but I can't just walk away. I have no place to go—

"Rae," Jetfire said sternly, "You are _welcome_ here."

"I know…it's just I don't know if I belong here."

Jetfire vented a sigh as a heavy pause filled the room. Rae looked up at the Autobot, letting her gaze get lost in the golden orbs that made up his optics. It was times like these that she had missed the most. If Jetfire were human…Rae had to suppress a shudder.

"I've _missed_ you, Rae," Jetfire breathed as he tried not to think about shrinking down and kissing her.

Rae smiled even though she didn't want to. "I've missed you, too, Jetfire," she replied, "Think I could stay the night here? I'd rather not deal with Micah tonight."

"Sure, I'll take you to your—

"I said _here_."

"You mean…with me?"

"Yes, _with_ you."

"I don't know where you'd sleep," he said, "I don't want to roll over and accidentally crush you."

"I'm not worried," Rae replied as she eased her blouse over her head, revealing a white camisole that she was wearing underneath.

"Rae, what are you doing?"

"I'm just making myself a little more comfortable," she replied, "Don't worry. I don't know you well enough to let you see me naked."

"_Oh Primus,"_ Jetfire thought. He tried to will his optics offline, but instead they remained glued on Rae as she slipped her skirt off and tossed it aside where her blouse was. He stared at her, she wore nothing but a white camisole and white panties. Had her legs always been that long? He was contemplating how soft her legs were when he realized he was staring. He glanced up only to meet Rae's gaze. He was glad his facemask hid his blush as he saw she was wearing a curious and suspicious expression on her face, obviously she had been watching him study her.

"Enjoying the view?" she asked.

Jetfire tried to play it cool as he shrugged and said, "I wasn't expecting a striptease."

"Well, unfortunately for you, this is as naked as I'm getting," she replied as she sat down on his chest.

He eased his hand over her as she lay down, stroking his fingers over her back. He had to fight every urge in his being to keep from shrinking down to her size and enveloping her in his arms. _"This has to stop,"_ he told himself, _"She likes Jeffrey, not Jetfire." _

"Good night," she said.

"Sweet dreams," he replied as he let his optics go offline and he felt Rae settle on his chest.

"Hey, Jetfire?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't want to weird you out or anything, but that guy I met, he reminds me of you, if you were human. I think that's why I liked him so much."

Jetfire smiled behind his facemask. He wouldn't say anything to risk ruining the moment. Instead, he reveled in the possibility that Rae liked him as he drifted into recharge.

* * *

><p>Rae was surprised when she woke up the next morning to giant fingers gently stroking her back. It was comforting in an odd sense as she lay awake, the memories from the previous night playing through her mind. She couldn't remember a time where she woke up feeling so secure, so protected, so warm. It was nice to wake up without being smothered by venomous kisses, sex, and the scents of sweat, alcohol, and cigarettes.<p>

Rae watched as her breath created little clouds on Jetfire's sleek armor. She drew a smiley face in the condensation. She wrote her name. She wrote Jetfire's. She drew a heart. She smiled.

Rae wondered if transformers could feel attracted to humans. They were so alike, but so different. Rae knew without a doubt that she was attracted to Jetfire more than what she should've been. For a brief moment, she wondered how transformer sexuality worked. Did they have genders? Were there female transformers? Jetfire said they had sexual relationships. How did that work?

Blushing at the thought, Rae rolled over onto her back, Jetfire's hand still covering her. She sighed, wishing that Jetfire could be human. She wished that Jeffrey was Jetfire. If she couldn't have those, she'd even take Jetfire being smaller.

"_Get a grip, Rae. He's not human. He's just a really sweet guy that's saved your life a couple times. Imagine what people would think if they knew you secretly wanted to date a giant alien robot. They'd say you have robosexuality or mechanophilia. It simply wouldn't work and Jetfire would probably get in trouble. There's no way it can be right for a transformer to date a human."_

But deep down inside, Rae knew that nobody had to know. And she was suspiciously certain that Jetfire liked her as much as she liked him.

"Morning, Rae," the Autobot said.

"Morning," she replied as she sat up, ruffling her hair.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

"Yes. I probably look pretty awful at the moment, so ignore me."

He smiled, "Your hair's a little crazy, but its fine if you're not planning on going anywhere."

"I should get home," she admitted.

"What for? You just woke up."

"Micah's going to be mad."

Jetfire vented a sigh as he helped Rae off his chest so she could put her clothes back on. "He's going to be mad regardless of when you go home. You should stay here, there's something I want to show you."

"Show me?" she asked, looking to him quizzically.

"You bet," he replied with a wink.

"Well, I'm willing to compromise if you take me to my room so I can shower."

"You got it," Jetfire stated as he scooped her up in his hand and headed for the door. He carried her down to her room before setting her on the floor. "When you get done," he said, "Come to the command center. I'll be there."

"Alright," Rae said, "See you in a bit."

"See you soon," he stated before walking away.

Rae watched him before she disappeared inside her room. She proceeded to use the bathroom and shower before redressing and drying her hair. When she finished, she left her room to find Jetfire. However, as she walked into the command center, she nearly collided with a red and white foot. She apologized quickly before looking up only to freeze in terror. "Starscream!" she shouted in disbelief, moving a few steps back away from him, "Do 'Cons just have free roam of this place now?"

Jetfire chuckled as he turned to her. "That sure would be interesting, wouldn't it?" he remarked, "But no worries, Starscream's one of us now."

She looked to the former Decepticon, "You mean, you joined these guys?"

"Way to make that sound like a bad thing," Hotshot exclaimed.

"I did it so I could bring down Megatron," Starscream replied as he looked the human over, "You must be the one called Rae."

"Who told you?"

"I've heard your name mentioned around the base. Plus, Wheeljack has said some things."

"Tell him he still owes me a car," Rae said as she crossed her arms.

"I'll think about it."

"So, how'd you end up here?"

"Megatron tried to kill me, I don't wish to discuss it," Starscream stated as he turned away. He paused for a moment before looking back to Rae, a stern look on his face, "Though I harbor no sentiments towards you, as an _Autobot_, I will warn you that Megatron is interested in you."

"What do you mean by _interested_?" Jetfire intervened, sounding angry.

Starscream shrugged, "I wasn't in the Decepticon base long enough to find out. I overheard Demolishor whining about how ridiculous it was that Megatron was wasting valuable resources on a human named Rae."

Jetfire looked down at her, optics narrowed. Rae, however, didn't notice, her own eyes suddenly clouded by sadness and regret. "It's probably because I took his side when he was trying to get the Requiem Blaster Minicons from Smokescreen."

"You mean to tell me you're still beating yourself up over that?"

Rae whirled around, surprised. Her eyes landed on a 'Bot she had never seen before, but his voice was as clear as day. "Smoke—Smokescreen?" she stammered, "Is that you?"

"You bet it is," he replied with a chuckle, "But I go by Hoist now."

"You…survived?" Rae asked, clearly stunned.

"Red Alert is an excellent medic," he said.

"Hoist…I'm so sorry about everything that—

"Hey now," Hoist remarked as he knelt down in front of Rae, "You don't need to be sorry for anything. You weren't the one that pulled the trigger."

"But the things I said—

"They were just words, Rae. I know you didn't mean them. I'm not mad at you for being scared."

She looked down for a moment before looking back up at him, "Thanks, Hoist."

"No problem, kiddo," he remarked as he stood back up, a smile on his face.

Rae looked to Jetfire, who was looking back down at her. However, both turned their gaze to Optimus as he said, "Jetfire, Rae, I wish to speak with you two alone."

"Uh, yes sir," Jetfire stated as he scooped Rae up and followed the Autobot leader out of the command center. They went down a series of hallways until they were out of hearing range.

Optimus stopped and turned to Jetfire, Rae was perched on his shoulder. "Rae," the Autobot leader said, "Do you plan on returning home or staying here?"

"Going home," she replied, "I have to."

"I don't think that is wise," Optimus said, "Until we can determine that Megatron is no longer a threat to you, it would be best if you stayed here."

"Megatron already thinks I'm staying here," Rae said, "He did pluck me out of my room before."

"He can't get you here," Jetfire remarked, "Who knows if he's spying on you. He definitely has the means of doing so."

"I doubt he's _that_ interested."

"You never know with Megatron. Once he sets his sights on something, he gets it. You're safer here where I can protect you."

"Jetfire, you know I can't. I don't know what Micah would do."

Jetfire scowled, "Why does that matter?"

"Jetfire," Optimus spoke sternly, "We cannot make Rae stay here if she doesn't wish to."

Jetfire simply looked away, grumbling. Rae looked from him to Optimus as the Autobot leader said, "Rae, if anything should happen, contact us immediately. Jetfire can sync your phone with his—

"He already has," Rae said, "I promise, I'll call."

Optimus nodded before walking away. When he was gone, Jetfire looked back to Rae before asking, "Do you _like_ putting yourself in danger?"

"Maybe I like it when you rescue me," she said with a wink.

Jetfire felt defeated. He couldn't stay angry with her after she said that. "Yeah, go ahead and try to flirt your way out of this," he said as he started walking.

"Who said I was flirting?"

"Please, I've been with enough femmes in my lifetime to know what counts as flirting and what doesn't."

"Femme?"

"A female transformer."

"So you do have genders?"

"Yes, we are programmed to have genders after we are conceived. Creators—parents in your terms—have no control over gender. It happens on its own."

"So what's the technical term for a male transformer?"

"A mech."

"Well, I won't ask you _how_ transformers reproduce. I may not be a virgin, but there are some things I don't care to know at this point in time. We'll save that for another day."

Jetfire laughed, "Alright, but that means you'll have to come back here."

"I'll find a way."

"I'll hold you to that, Rae. Just promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"Be careful when you go home. I know I give you a hard time about Micah, but I worry myself sick about you when you're not here. And now that I know Megatron is interested in you, that certainly doesn't make me feel better. If anything happens, and I mean _anything_, let me know alright? I won't yell or say 'I told you so' or anything like that—

"Jetfire…"

"Rae, I _care_ about you. I meant what I said when I told you I'll risk exposing my existence to all of mankind if it means keeping you safe."

She wanted to hug him. She wanted to press herself against him. She wanted to melt inside of him. She wanted to find the human beneath his armor. She wanted to tell him that being friends wasn't good enough. She wanted to tell him she loved him for everything he was and everything he was doing. She wanted to stay. She wanted to belong with him.

"Jetfire," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper, "You mean everything to me."

"Rae…"

* * *

><p>He laughed to himself as Rae stepped out of the yellow sports car. She thanked the car before closing the door and heading towards the apartment complex. He watched as the car pulled away, obviously headed back to the Autobot base. With a sneer, he said, "Poor Hotshot, reduced to being a chauffeur."<p>

He turned his attention back to Rae as a male came storming out of the apartment. His eyes screamed with fury. He watched as Rae cowered as the man seized her by the wrist. "Where have you been?" he demanded.

"I'll explain inside," Rae said.

"Damn right you will," the man seethed, "You'll be lucky if I ever let you out again!"

"Micah, calm down, I'm home now, I'm—

He slapped her so hard across the face that even the black car observing them cringed. The man dragged Rae inside, the door closing behind them. The car vented a sigh.

"Wheeljack to Megatron."

"Do you have the information I requested?"

"Affirmative, our target is no longer a resident of the Autobot base. I have the location of her current residence."

"Excellent work, Wheeljack."

"Oh, and sir…"

"What is it?"

"I don't know if this will interest you or not, but it appears that ex-boyfriend of hers is no longer an ex. And from the looks of it, he's violently possessive and abusive."

Megatron laughed so darkly that Wheeljack had to refrain from shuddering. "Sir?" he asked, confused by his leader's sudden mirth.

"He will be an ex again, soon enough."

Before Wheeljack could question his leader further, Megatron spoke again, revealing something that made the former Autobot's armor prickle with fear for the human.

"If Rae prefers that kind of treatment, then she's going to _love_ me…"

* * *

><p>Until the next chapter. Please review!<p> 


	11. Cruel Fate

**11.**

**Cruel Fate**

Rae never knew she didn't like the sound of bone cracking against bone, the feeling of skin ripping, the taste of blood. She didn't know how much it could hurt to have fists slammed into her ribs, into her stomach, into her face. She didn't know how much it hurt to have her hair pulled, to have nails dig into as they ripped off her clothes, to have her legs forced open. She never knew how much one person could hurt her.

She never knew any of this until she met Micah.

It had been weeks since she had left the nightclub with Jeffrey. She understood why Micah was angry, but she didn't understand his wrath. He could've walked away. He could've spit in her face and told everyone she was a whore.

After he beat her, Rae had stayed up the whole night crying. She sat in the bathroom while Micah slept, 911 entered on her phone but she couldn't make herself call. Instead, she chose to lie to her friends and coworkers. She told them she had been involved in a fight at a bar. She told them she was pressing charges. And, Rae felt like dying when they believed her.

It had taken weeks for the injuries to heal, but she knew the memories would never fade. She would wake up in the middle of the night, shaking and screaming from some awful nightmare about Micah only to be comforted by him. Rae knew this couldn't go on anymore. Even if she loved him, her fear was now greater. Somehow, she had to get away from him for good.

"Have a nice day," Rae said as she finished checking out the customer that had walked into the gas station she worked at.

"Hey, Rae."

Rae looked over her shoulder as one of her coworkers came up behind her. She stood beside her at the counter as another customer wandered in. "You're here early," Rae remarked as she checked the time on her phone, "Two and a half hours early."

Her coworker gave her a sad smile, "I'm a week late on this month's rent. Is it okay if I pick up the last two hours of your shift? I really need the money."

"You sure?" Rae asked. Despite the fact working at the gas station wasn't her favorite thing; she enjoyed being away from Micah.

"The festival is in town, the fireworks are tonight," her coworker replied, "It'll be quiet in here. Go ahead."

"Thanks," Rae replied as she clocked out, "I'll make it up to you sometime if you want."

"No worries," her coworker stated as she turned her attention to the customer.

"Have a nice night," Rae called out before walking out of the gas station. She sighed heavily, staring out across the gas pumps as she made her way across the hot pavement towards the sidewalk. Glumly, she slowly meandered towards the bus stop so that she could go back to the apartment. Micah wouldn't be expecting her for another two and a half hours though.

A grin stretched across her face as she took out her phone. She dialed a number before pressing the phone against her ear.

* * *

><p>Rae lifted her arms as the wind raced against her. Her hair flew out behind her as she and Caliburst raced back to the Autobot base together. It felt so good to be this free.<p>

**"Jetfire will be glad to see you."**

Rae smiled down at the Minicon. "Yeah, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

**"Over a month. Though he denies it, he's been driving himself crazy since he hasn't heard from you."**

"Well, this little surprise will do him some good."

**"I think that's an understatement."**

Rae laughed as they pulled into the Autobot base. Caliburst kept driving until they reached the command center. When they arrived, Rae got off him before he transformed. She walked forward, the doors parting when she got close enough, and she wandered inside. Everyone was so busy, no one took notice of her, but Rae immediately spotted the white Autobot engaged in a conversation with Hotshot and the other kids.

Grinning, she called out, "Hey, Jetfire, can I steal you for a little while?"

The deputy commander immediately whirled around, his yellow optics filled with shock. "Rae!" he exclaimed, "For Primus' sake, give me a spark-attack why don't you."

She shrugged, "I thought I'd surprise you."

Jetfire looked to Optimus before asking, "You mind if I leave for a little bit?"

"No, but behave," Optimus replied.

"Yeah, yeah," the Autobot second in command stated before picking Rae up and heading out the door. "You couldn't give me a warning that you were coming?" he asked.

"Nope," she said, "It was a spur of the moment thing. I finished my shift early so I thought I'd stop by for a bit."

"It's good to see you, Rae. I was getting worried."

"Caliburst mentioned that you were. Who's Primus?"

"Primus?"

"You mentioned his name."

"He's our creator. Kind of like your God I guess."

"So, do you pray?"

Jetfire looked down at Rae before he responded, "Not often…what makes you ask that?"

"I've found that I've been praying a lot…" she trailed off, "You pray to Primus because he's your god?"

"Sort of, he's mortal, like you and me, but possesses great power."

"What do you pray about?"

"Good luck…sometimes I beg for my life on the battlefield. What about your God? I don't know much about Him."

"I'm not sure He's real. But, if he is, he's supposedly a Holy Spirit that created the universe and every creature that exists on Earth."

"Why have you been praying a lot to a God you're not even sure you believe in?"

Rae sucked in a breath, "I…pray out of despair."

"What do you say?"

"I ask for strength, for guidance and wisdom…for someone to take my pain away and save me."

"Rae…what's going on?"

"I don't really want to talk about it right now," she said quickly, averting her gaze from his.

"Rae…"

She didn't say anything. Instead, she kept her gaze away from him. Jetfire vented a sigh, knowing that Rae wasn't going to talk. Deciding not to prod her further, he headed for the exit of the base. "Let's do our thing," he said.

"Our thing?" she asked, looking up at him.

"You know, watch the sunset."

He watched as her smile returned. He walked to the place they normally watched the sunset together before he sat down, setting Rae down on the ground beside him. She proceeded to sit down herself before she said, "You know, the last time I spoke with you, you said transformers have relationships."

"We do," Jetfire confirmed.

"Do you have a family?"

"No, no children, no mate, I'm a single, extremely good-looking bachelor if I don't say so myself," he said, causing Rae to smile and shake her head, "What about you, you got kids hiding somewhere?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Do you want some, someday?"

"Sure I do, if I ever meet the right guy," she said, her smile suddenly vanishing.

"You'll find him; he might even be closer than what you think." He watched as she turned her gaze away from the sunset and to the ground. He couldn't help but feel that something was horribly wrong, but he didn't dare say anything should his intuition be lying.

"Jetfire," she said.

"Yeah?"

"I feel like I'm manacled to this town…"

"You're going to go far, Ra-Ra."

"I don't think so."

"Look at you, Rae. You're so vibrant, so full of life and love, you're so passionate about everything, and you think so deeply…" he said.

"That's not enough."

"You'll find what you need to make it enough, heck, what are your friends doing?"

"Michelle is a barista saving her hard earned dollars for a car. Jenna works at a Greek restaurant paying off student loans."

"What are you saving for?"

"A bigger dream, something beyond the limits of the streetlights, beyond my friends and family, something out there that's just beyond my reach."

He smiled, "Your passion will carry you."

She smiled. "So…" she stated as she tried to think of something else to talk about, "When was the last time you were with a femme?"

Jetfire wasn't sure if he trusted the suspicious expression she held on her face. "You mean, sexually?" he asked.

"No," she remarked sarcastically, "The last time you took a stroll through the park with one. Of course I mean sexually."

"It's been a long time," he answered, "Don't make fun of me, but I can't really remember the last time I saw a femme…why?"

She shrugged, "I was just wondering if you were a virgin or not."

"No," he said, "That I lost millennia ago."

"Well then…since you haven't seen or been with a femme for while…is that why you like me so much?"

"Come on, Rae, you know I have more respect for a woman than that. Heck, if I was like that, I would have spent a ton of time with Alexis since she was here before you."

"True. So, how do you guys select mates? Do you date people?"

"Yes…but unlike humans, we know for a fact when we've found 'the one.'"

"What do you mean?"

"For every transformer created, there is another created to be with that one…it's preordained by Primus I guess. When we find the one we're supposed to be with, we know it, kind of like an instinct."

"But you'll have sex with them even when you know they're not your spark-mate?"

"It's called being horny. You should know all about it."

She laughed before saying, "For me, being horny is not enough. The guy needs to be decent, clean, and I need to feel sexually attracted to him."

"Well, obviously. I don't sleep with just anyone."

"Can transformers be gay?"

"Yes, but it's not frowned upon or considered taboo. We're robots, after all."

"Then…is there anyone right now you're sexually attracted to?"

"Not anyone here. I'm straight. What about you?"

"I suppose if I had to pick a guy, it'd be that Jeffrey person I met that one time. He was beautiful and an amazing kisser."

"You never heard from him?" Jetfire asked as he tried not to think about Rae naked.

"He said he'd find me. I haven't been out enough for him to find me," she answered and then abruptly changed the subject, "Have you been up to a lot in the last month?"

"Oh you know, we raided the Decepticon base and found out they're building a warship. I went to Mars with Starscream. Can't say I've been up to too much."

"You went to Mars?"

"You bet."

"You don't even know how cool that is. I mean, you're able to leave your planet. I'm never going to leave this place."

"Maybe I'll take you to Cybertron one day."

"Really?" she asked excitedly, "I mean, that would be amazing."

An alarm suddenly sounded on her phone and Rae quickly turned it off as she stood up. Jetfire looked to her, "What's going on?"

"I got to get going."

"Already?" he asked, "You haven't been here that long."

"I know but I need to get home before Micah wonders where I am. There's also a festival going on in town this weekend. I told Micah I'd go with him to see the fireworks."

"You should just stay here, Rae."

"Would it make you feel better if I told you I'm working on leaving Micah? I'm looking for a new place to live and a new job—

"Rae, you can live here."

"Jetfire, even if I move back here, Micah can still find me at work or at school. And, rather than make him mad, it's easier to just stay with him for now."

"What does Micah do when he gets mad?"

"I…I have to go," Rae said, "I'll try to see you again soon."

Jetfire felt his spark go with Rae as he watched her leave. He sighed heavily when she disappeared out of sight and looked back to the horizon the sun had just slipped below. These moments he had with her, they weren't long enough.

* * *

><p>"Rae mentioned something about a festival going on in town tonight," Jetfire casually mentioned as he stepped inside the rec room where the kids were gathered.<p>

"You bet!" Carlos remarked, "We were planning on heading there ourselves. Since you can become a human, you want to go with?"

"I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"They're doing fireworks at 10," Rad stated, "It's nine o'clock now."

"Well…maybe I'll come for a little bit then."

"Sweet, we're leaving in a few minutes," Rad replied.

"I'll meet you outside the base with Caliburst," Jetfire remarked before leaving the rec room.

* * *

><p>Rae sighed heavily as Micah spread a blanket on the ground for them to sit on. She sat down first, him beside her. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. "Just like how it used to be, huh?" he whispered as he kissed the top of her head.<p>

"Yeah," she remarked unenthusiastically, "Just like old times."

"Rae, you know I'm trying really hard."

She blinked back the tears that suddenly welled up in her eyes. She didn't have the strength to tell him that she was scared to death of him. Instead, she leaned against him before saying, "I know."

"Thanks for coming with me, Ra-Ra."

"Would you get mad if I asked if I could hang out with my friends after this?"

"What friends?"

"Female ones," she replied and then lied, "I want you to trust me. We've both hurt each other and I don't want to hurt you anymore. We can't have a healthy relationship if we don't trust each other."

"Then I can hang out with my friends?"

"Yes and you can do whatever you want, drink, get high, whatever. Just be safe about it."

He smiled and pressed his lips against her cheek, "How long will you be gone?"

"I might stay the night with Jenna and have some girl time. I need more estrogen in my life."

"I love you, babe."

"I love you, too."

He leaned in to kiss her when fireworks suddenly began going off. He immediately turned his attention to the sky and Rae relaxed. She watched the colors explode in the sky above them, wishing she could be sitting next to Jeffrey or Jetfire instead of Micah. However, she tried to ignore her company as she concentrated on the show. When it finally ended, she stood back up, helping Micah to his feet.

"I'm going to get going, babe, you mind taking care of the blanket?"

"Yeah, no problem."

He gave her a kiss on the cheek, "See you in the morning."

"You too," she replied before watching him walk away. She sighed with relief as she watched him disappear into the crowd before she picked up the blanket and folded it up. She then pulled her phone out of her pocket, but not to call her friends. Instead she had every intention of going back to the Autobot base and staying the night. She was just about to press the call button when a flash of red caught her eye. She looked up and felt her heart nearly beat out of her chest.

"Jeffrey!" she exclaimed, dropping her phone back into her pocket.

He grinned as he approached her, "Miss me?"

"Where have you been?" she asked.

"Looking for you," he replied.

She shook her head, smiling. "Well, it's about time you found me."

"Is it?" he asked as he watched her blush, "Are you here alone?"

"I came with Micah, but he left to hang out with his friends."

"I thought you were getting rid of him."

"I'm working on it."

"Well, you shouldn't have to spend the rest of the night alone. Is Micah expecting you back by a certain time?"

"Not until the morning," she replied, hugging the blanket against her chest.

Jetfire stepped closer to her, a gentle smile on his face. He knew he shouldn't do this, but he didn't care anymore. He pulled Rae into his arms, wishing he could hold her like this all the time. "I've missed you," he breathed before kissing her.

And, like the first time he kissed her, Rae melted into him. He deepened the kiss immediately, his tongue sliding past her lips and dancing with hers. His hands cupped her face; his callused thumbs gently stroked her cheeks as he kissed her. Rae felt like she was in heaven. There was no coming down from this. She felt as his hands drifted down her torso and he tightly gripped her waist.

"What do you say we go for a drive?" he asked, "Race the wind with me."

She nodded, still breathless from the kiss. He took her by the hand, leading her back over to Caliburst. He handed her a helmet before taking the blanket from her, lifting the seat, and putting it inside there. He put the seat back down and Rae climbed on. He got on as well and sped off into the night, Rae clinging to him.

They didn't notice a black car following them.

Jetfire ended up going down a dirt road before stopping next to a grassy field. "Come on," he said as he hopped off the motorcycle before helping Rae off.

"Where are we going?" she asked as she took her helmet off.

"The sky is huge out here," he replied as he took off his helmet and set it aside. He proceeded to retrieve the blanket before saying, "I bet we can see a lot of shooting stars out here."

Rae just smiled as she took his hand and allowed him to lead her into the field. At the bottom of a hill, Jetfire spread out the blanket and proceeded to lay down on it with Rae. "Do you look at the stars a lot?" Rae asked as she cuddled against him.

He wrapped an arm around her, "Yes."

"Do you know any of the constellations?"

"I can't say I do."

"You see that group right there?" she asked as she pointed, "That's the Big Dipper. And that cluster over there, that's Orion's Belt."

"What's that bright one up there?" he asked, pointing.

"Polaris, also known as the North Star."

"And that one?"

"Um…that's the moon…"

He laughed, "I know, I'm just messing with you."

She shook her head, "When I was younger, after my dad left, my mom would take me outside and spread out a blanket like this. She'd point out the constellations to me, but I can't remember half of the ones she told me. We'd stay out until the coyotes started howling."

Jetfire looked to her, "Your father left?"

"He left when I was really young, I don't really remember him very well. I hate the man for abandoning my mother. He never paid an ounce of child support; he never kept in touch with mom to see how I was. I always wished for him to come home just once for maybe Christmas or my birthday, but he never did. Wherever he is and whatever he's doing, he's no father of mine."

"Your mom is a strong woman."

"She never got over it. She never married. She had a few boyfriends, but nothing serious. I was all she needed and now I'm not even there."

"Your mother raised a beautiful woman."

She looked to him, meeting his gaze. He smiled before pressing his lips against her forehead. "You know," he said as he trailed the kisses down her cheek towards her lips, "The stars look prettier in your eyes."

Rae clung to him as he kissed her again. He rolled so that he was on top of her, kissing her deeply. Rae wanted to wrap every part of her around him. She thought about having sex with him right there on the blanket, however, he wasn't making any sexual advances. Her heart fluttered inside her chest. Maybe she had finally met a guy who actually respected women…maybe she had finally met a guy that cared.

However, as the night dragged on, neither of them noticed a black car parked at the top of the hill above them, watching them. Wheeljack felt his tanks churn with disgust as he witnessed the display of affection between Rae and the mysterious male she had left with. He was thankful, though, that they weren't mating. In order to distract himself, he ran a scan on the male. He was shocked, however, when the scan picked something up.

Whoever the male was, he was wearing pretender technology.

"An Autobot?" he mumbled to himself, completely shocked, "An Autobot romancing a _human_ at that?" Bitterly curious, he ran a scan on the male's molecular make up until he decoded his DNA signature. "Let's find out who you are, Autobot," Wheeljack breathed as he entered the signature into a database. He waited for it to sift through the data before the result suddenly flared.

_Signature match. Result: Jetfire._

"Won't Megatron be tickled…" he remarked before shifting into reverse and driving away.

* * *

><p>Megatron looked up, surprised, when Wheeljack suddenly entered the throne room. Normally when Wheeljack went on his patrols, he would be gone several hours. He looked the black Decepticon over briefly before saying, "You're back early."<p>

"I didn't care to watch Rae engage in an illicit affair anymore."

"Illicit?" Megatron asked, optics flashing.

"One of the Autobots is engaging in a romantic relationship with your human, sir."

"My human…" he mused, "Which Autobot?"

"Jetfire, sir."

"The second in command?"

"Yes, sir."

"How?"

"He's using pretender technology," Wheeljack explained, "Before I was recruited as a soldier, I did a bit of work as a scientist. I heard rumors that scientists created pretender technology when we started encountering organic planets. Our features are determined by our spark signature, much like a human's personal features are determined by their DNA. When used, the pretender technology translates a spark signature into synthetic DNA, causing one to look human without actually being human. Before leaving Cybertron, the Minicons must have taken it with them as a precautionary measure in case they came in contact with organic planets. The Autobots must have found it in their base after take up residence in it."

"Are you sure it was Jetfire romancing the human?"

"When I noticed the technology, I did a molecular scan of the human and ran his DNA signature through an Autobot database. His signature matched that of Jetfire's. There's no possible way it could be anyone else but him."

Megatron smirked noticeably, obviously please. "I wonder what he's thinking, entertaining a human in such _forbidden_ ways," he stated, "I wonder if she knows."

"She was calling him Jeffrey, so I would assume he has not told her."

"So the Autobot second in command is leading a double life…"

"It's entirely possible that she is his spark-mate. There are records in our history where Cybertronians have been mated to organic creatures. However, when that happens usually there are glitches within the preordainment and more than one transformer is mated to the organic. I do not mean to call you out, sir, but with your deep interest in Rae…"

"My, how cruel fate can be," Megatron mused.

"Sir?"

"Do not speak a word of this to the others; it will be your head if you do."

"As you command, Megatron."

"For now, I'll let Jetfire do as he pleases, but soon he will have to be eliminated. Make sure my human remains safe until I can have her," and he smirked wickedly.

"Yes, sir."

"You are dismissed."

And with that, Wheeljack left the room fully convinced that Megatron had the same illicit interests in Rae as Jetfire did.

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><p>Please review!<p> 


	12. Matchmaker

So, it's been awhile since I updated. A lot has been going on in my life. I celebrated my 21st birthday this past week and it was probably the most memorable birthday of my life. My car broke down, my friends wouldn't go out to dinner with me, my dad went in the hospital. Basically everything that could have gone wrong went wrong. But there was a lot of good too. Oh, and though I was in the path of Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy, nothing bad happened. I just got a couple classes cancelled because of it. Anyways, I'll stop ranting. Enjoy this chapter.

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><p><strong><span>12.<span>**

**Matchmaker**

Rae held tightly to the pen in her hand as she stared at her signature, the ink still drying on the lease. She looked up as a casually dressed man extended a hand towards her, a warm smile on his face. Rae accepted his hand, giving it a firm shake as he said, "Welcome to Lincoln Heights." He then released her hand and dropped a key into it as he turned to file away the lease on her new apartment.

"Thank you," Rae sighed as she got up and left the office. According to the lease and her new resident manager, she was in building four, apartment 28.

Feeling like a burden had been lifted from her shoulders; she walked over to the appropriate building before going inside. She went down a few steps before she came across her new apartment. Without hesitating, she unlocked the door and stepped inside, a smile instantly spreading across her face. This apartment was bigger, brighter, and more modernized than her old apartment. It was also cheaper. The best part was it was _her_ apartment. Micah wouldn't be here.

_"Micah,"_ she thought bitterly. He was exactly where he belonged.

Rae sat down on the floor beneath a window. She leaned against the wall as the sunlight poured over her. The last week had been too much for her to take and finding this apartment was a godsend. She sighed as she closed her eyes, reliving the events of the past week for the millionth time.

_"Who did this to you, Rae?"_

_Rae had a splitting headache, her vision was blurry; she couldn't seem to get her eyes to focus. The only thing she could remember was Micah's fury at her for coming home late from work. "He did," she replied, her mouth moving before her brain could think._

_"Who, Rae?"_

_"Micah, my boyfriend."_

_It was then her vision focused and she realized she was in a hospital room, a doctor hovering over her. He was bandaging up her hands; bloody cloths lay abandoned on the bed beside her. "You're lucky," the doctor said, "He came at you with a knife, but from the injuries to your hands, you did a good job holding him off. He must've knocked you out and fled."_

_"We were in the parking lot; I had just gotten home from work."_

_"Someone witnessed the whole thing, they called the police. That's when your attacker fled."_

"_My boyfriend…Micah—_

_"He will be arrested, Rae," the doctor reassured her, "He can't get away with beating you like this, especially to this degree. I have to give his name to the police."_

_"Micah Sutherland," she said._

_The doctor nodded as he finished tending to her wounds. She was released the next morning after giving a statement to the police. The officer that took her statement informed her that Micah had been caught and arrested. He was being arraigned later that day and that more than likely; he would be put in jail for a little while. _

Rae stood up from the floor. Since she wasn't sure how long Micah would be in jail, she knew she didn't have much time to get her stuff moved from her old apartment to her new apartment. She would need help, but fortunately she knew who to ask.

* * *

><p>"That should be the last of it," Rae stated as she and the kids finished loading the last bit of her belongings inside of Hotshot.<p>

"I hope so," Hotshot remarked, "This is the fourth trip I've had to make now."

"Hey, we'll meet you at the other apartment," Alexis said as she, Carlos, and Rad got on their Minicons.

"Alright, see you there," Rae stated before watching them drive off. She got inside Hotshot and he closed the door as she buckled herself in. "I really appreciate the help," she said.

"I do what I can," Hotshot replied, "If you don't mind me asking though, how come you're moving to another apartment?"

"Jetfire hasn't told you?"

"Well, he doesn't talk about your private life much."

"My boyfriend and I broke up a while ago."

"Is that why you were upset when we first met you?"

"Yes. He cheated on me with some other girl. We tried to fix things, but it just didn't work. I need to get out of that place and move on."

"Does he know you're moving out?"

"No, he'll be surprised when he gets home."

"Is he working?"

"No, um…" she was hesitant to reveal anything, but she knew better than to hold in anything now that she knew the Autobots so well, "He's in jail."

Hotshot nearly slammed on the brakes. "Jail?" he repeated, "What for?"

"Promise you won't tell Jetfire?"

"He is your guardian, Rae. If something bad happened, I feel he has the right to know. He won't be mad at you."

"I'm not worried about him being mad, I just don't want him to worry about me."

"I'll leave it to you to tell him when you're ready."

Rae sighed, "Micah attacked me. He came at with me with a knife. I came home late from work and he thought I was with another guy. He beat me until I was unconscious, but luckily someone noticed and called the police."

"By the Allspark…Rae…are you alright?"

"I got a few cuts on my hands that are healing up and a few bruises that are nearly gone, but considering what could have happened, I think I'm lucky."

"It's a good thing you're getting away from this guy."

"I don't want him to find me again. I'm getting my number changed, I'm switching jobs. The semester is ending soon so I won't have the same schedule for much longer. He shouldn't be able to find me."

"Have you thought about a restraining order?"

"I am getting one of those, too."

"Well, I'm glad things are finally going your way. It's about time they did considering everything that's been happening to you."

"Thanks, Hotshot. Do you think you could give me a ride to the base after we get my stuff moved in? I'd like to say hi to a certain Autobot."

Hotshot gave a light laugh, "No problem, Rae. Jetfire's been wanting to see you. From the way he acts, I almost think he's got a crush on you."

Rae felt her heart flutter inside her chest and was glad that Hotshot couldn't see the blush that was burning onto her cheeks. "You think so?" she asked.

"I asked him once," Hotshot said, "He never really answered the question. He just said that Optimus would kill him if he had a relationship with a human."

"Well," Rae said as she settled back into the seat, "What Optimus doesn't know won't hurt him."

"Whoa, what are you saying? Are you and Jetfire…?"

She laughed, "No, Hotshot. I do like him and think he's a good guy, but there's no way it'd work out. We're a different species. I'd get older and die much sooner than he would. We'd both get a bad reputation if anyone were to find out."

"I think it's totally normal if you guys like each other. I mean, we both reason and experience the same emotions. It'd just weird me out if you guys tried to act on your feelings."

"I don't even want to think about that."

"Well, that's good. This conversation is really awkward now."

Rae just laughed.

* * *

><p>Jetfire didn't want to admit that he always felt disappointed when the other kids came to the base but Rae never did. She didn't call; she didn't let anyone know how she was. He sighed heavily, knowing that today wasn't any different when he saw Alexis, Rad, and Carlos enter the command center, chatting excitedly. He watched them for a moment when the doors opened again and Hotshot came in.<p>

"Hey Jetfire," the yellow Autobot stated, "I got a surprise for you."

Jetfire looked to him, "Oh boy. I'm not sure a surprise coming from you is a good thing."

Hotshot just smiled before he stepped aside and revealed Rae. Jetfire felt his spark surge with sudden elation. "Rae," he exclaimed, unable to hide his happiness.

She just smiled, "Hey big guy."

"Where've you been?"

"Oh you know, living the average college student life," she replied just as the alarm suddenly went off.

Jetfire looked to the monitor before groaning, "You've got to be kidding me."

"No worries, you go save the world. I'll wait," Rae said.

He looked to her, "You sure? I mean, you don't have to leave right away?"

"Nope. Take your time. I'll just work on a paper that's due in my English class."

Jetfire nodded as he watched Rae leave the room. He turned to Optimus just in time to hear him give the order to roll out. However, when they arrived at the location where the Minicon was, Jetfire was dismayed to see that they were in another canyon. This canyon, however, split in several different directions. Optimus ordered the Autobots into teams to search for the Minicon and Jetfire wasn't surprised when he was paired with his leader. They watched as the other Autobots left before Jetfire said, "I'll go on ahead and see if I can locate the Minicon by air. I'll radio you if I find anything."

Optimus nodded, "And I the same."

And with that, Jetfire transformed and took the skies, scanning the canyon as he went along. It didn't take long before he couldn't even see Optimus or gauge how far behind he was. Rae was heavy on his processor, though, and he couldn't wait to get back to the base to be with her.

_Primus, Jetfire, what is it about her that makes you like this?_

A suddenly blip on his radar distracted him from his thoughts. He transformed before landing on the canyon floor. He glanced around, but he didn't see anything that remotely resembled a Minicon panel. "Okay…" he mused as he took out his Plasma Blaster, "If I didn't detect the Minicon, then there must be a Decepticon running around here somewhere."

A dark chuckle reverberated off the canyon walls before an all too familiar transformer stepped forward. "Right you are, Autobot," he said.

Jetfire scowled, "Megatron."

"I'm surprised you don't have your human charge with you, the other children seem to enjoy coming out on the missions."

"Leave Rae out of this. She's done nothing to you."

Megatron smirked, "She's done more than you think. And don't think that I don't know what you're doing. Tell me, Jetfire, have you told Optimus how you're using pretender technology to have an illicit affair with Rae?"

Jetfire felt numbing, paralyzing shock course through his circuits. "How…how did you know?" he asked.

The Decepticon leader chuckled, "I have my ways. Enjoy the time you have with her, it won't last."

Jetfire growled, "What do you want with her?"

"That's none of your business. Now I suggest you stand aside. You wouldn't want me to tell your secret to Optimus now, would you?"

The sound of an engine suddenly filled the canyon and Jetfire whirled around only to see Optimus arrive on scene. "Jetfire," his leader stated as he transformed, "Let's powerlink."

Jetfire didn't hesitate as he immediately combined with his leader. It didn't take them long to drive Megatron off and it wasn't long after that that Blurr radioed them and informed them that the Minicon had been secured. He and Jetfire separated to regroup with the others and head back to the base; however, as Jetfire walked away, Optimus couldn't help but stare.

It wasn't any secret that when they powerlinked, they were able to feel each others' emotions, to think each others' thoughts. However, what Optimus had just experienced left him alarmed. Jetfire had been enraged, nearly all his thoughts were about Rae, but his spark was emitting such a feeling of passion, it was nearly overwhelming.

It was when they got back to the base and were alone that Optimus confronted his second in command. "Jetfire," he said, "Is everything alright?"

The white Autobot turned and looked at him, "Yes sir, everything is fine."

"What happened between you and Megatron? I could feel how angry you were when we powerlinked."

"He threatened me by threatening Rae. Starscream wasn't lying when he said that Megatron was interested in her," Jetfire explained as he turned towards the door, "I'm going to go see how she's doing."

"Hold on."

Jetfire looked back to him, "Yes sir?"

"Just how much does Rae mean to you? I could feel what you were feeling."

The second in command stiffened, "Optimus, I would never intentionally disobey an order—

"Jetfire, I didn't ask if you had disobeyed an order."

He sighed heavily before saying, "Honestly, I like her a lot more than what I should. But don't worry, I know what you said." But Jetfire knew that was a lie. He had already stolen the pretender technology and disobeyed Optimus' order not once, but twice. And as long as his superior was unaware, he had every intention of doing it again.

"I trust you," Optimus said, "But if it becomes an issue, it will be dealt with."

"I understand, sir."

"You're dismissed."

And with that, Jetfire left the room. However, he didn't feel guilty for disobeying Optimus. Instead, he became more terrified at the thought of losing Rae. Not only was Megatron threatening to take her away, but Optimus threatened to do something if his relationship with Rae became too close.

He shook his head. If Optimus had her taken away, it was for his own good. But if Megatron took her…Jetfire couldn't fathom it. He needed to tell her the truth and he needed to do so before it was too late.

And, though it would take time, he knew just the way to do it. Optimus had given him the shape modifying chip for a reason. It was time to put it to good use.

* * *

><p>Rae sighed heavily as she leaned back and stretched, shaking her hands as she tried to ease the cramps out of them. She had made decent headway on her paper, but there was still a lot of work to be done. She had just stretched her hands over her keyboard when there was a knock at the door.<p>

"The door's open," she called as she began to type.

"Rae, I have a surprise for you," Jetfire said as he poked his head into the room.

She looked over at him from her computer, "I see your back. How'd the mission go?"

"We won, of course. You should know that."

She smirked, "Should I?"

"Yes. Now, that surprise…"

"Can it wait? I'm in a good groove."

"No. This is more important," he replied with a sly grin.

"Alright," she said turning to him with a smirk, "What is this surprise?" And she watched in stunned amazement as he suddenly began to shrink.

When the shrinking stopped, he was still a couple feet taller than her, but small enough to walk inside her room and come over to her. "No frickin way…" she breathed as she looked at him.

He chuckled, "Do you like?"

"Like it? I love it!" she exclaimed as she got up from her chair and looked him over. She frowned suddenly as she faced him.

"What?" he asked.

"Why are you doing this?"

He winced noticeably, "Optimus said that if I had the ability to shrink down to your size that we could get along better. In all honesty, he just wanted a test subject for Red Alert's prototype chip. Said chip allows one to adjust their size."

She crossed her arms, "And Optimus wouldn't be playing matchmaker now, would he?"

"A romantic relationship between us is forbidden."

"Since when have you cared if something is forbidden?" she asked as she traced a finger down the Autobot insignia on his chest.

Jetfire had to suppress a shudder. Her touch nearly ignited a fire. Instead, he managed to grin as he replied with a bit of a sarcastic edge, "Since when have you been so curious?"

Rae wasn't sure why, but she had the urge to kiss him. She wanted the facemask that covered his mouth to disappear so that she could press her lips to his and just melt inside of him. Instead, she managed to control herself as she grabbed him by the hand and said, "Come on, my paper can wait, let's go for a walk."

And Jetfire closed his hand around hers as they walked away from her room. "You know," he said, "It always makes my day when you stop by the base."

"I should be able to come by more often now."

"How much is 'more often?'"

"Whenever I want."

"Really?"

"I have my own place now."

"Micah—

"Is gone. I shouldn't have to deal with him ever again."

"That's great to hear, Rae, considering all that he's done to you. Just as long as he doesn't know where you live."

"He doesn't. I'm getting a new job so he won't know where I work, the semester is ending soon so he won't be able to find me at school, I'm getting my number changed so he won't be able to contact me, and once the restraining order comes through, he won't be able to—

"Restraining order? What happened?"

She sighed heavily, "I'll tell you another time. Just know you don't need to worry, I'm safe, and he's in jail. And I'll give you my new number so you can contact me."

"I'm going to worry about you anyway. I'm not sure if I should feel relieved or panicked knowing that your ex is in jail though. Did he do something to hurt you?"

"Yes. But he can't get me right now. I'm with you."

Jetfire smiled even though he didn't want to. "I'm sorry things turned out the way they did for you," he said as they left they base and headed over to the spot where they usually watched the sunset. However, it wasn't quite time for the sun to set yet as they sat down.

"It'll be better once things get settled down."

A brief silence passed between them before Jetfire finally asked, "What is love to you, Rae?"

Rae's cheeks immediately flushed and she looked away from Jetfire. "Love," she said without much emotion, "Love is something I gave up on a while ago."

"Well, that's not good."

She looked to him as she tried to explain, "There are so many different forms of love, like family love, friendship love, and true love. Like, your friends and family, you could love them so much that you would die for them. But I don't believe true love exists."

"Why not?"

"Well, I think it was unfair that when we were children growing up, our parents would let us watch movies that convinced little girls that they were really princesses, and, one day, a perfect man, who was really prince charming or some knight in shining armor, was going to come and rescue them. Then they would fall in love and live happily ever after," she explained, "After my experiences with the men I've been with…no, there's just no happy endings, no fairytale perfect men."

"What do you believe then?"

"I believe that love exists, but I haven't found it yet."

"So, how will you know?"

"I won't be able to live without him," she said, "You see, love is the most beautiful, terrible thing. It has the power to raise a person up, but also bring them to their knees. You won't know what love is until you actually feel it. But you'll know you're in love because you'll always want to be around that person, you'll be able to pass the time just by talking about nothing, and for the first time, life will feel like it's worth living because reality will be better than dreams."

Jetfire smiled behind his facemask as he felt his spark swell inside his chest. "You could probably convince Megatron that love exists," he remarked softly.

She grinned, "I doubt that. Megatron is so hard-bitten. It'd take _quite_ the girl to convince him."

"If he swings that way."

She burst out laughing, "Keep him away from little boys then."

They continued to talk as the sun slowly began to disappear below the horizon. Jetfire and Rae watched as the stars began to come out, but the stars weren't the only thing that came out as the ground suddenly began to light up with thousands of twinkling glows from fireflies.

"What the heck?" Jetfire exclaimed, "Where are those lights coming from?"

Rae smiled, "They're from fireflies. They're a type of beetle."

"You mean…Earthen insects can glow?"

"Not all of them, just fireflies. They're kind of like stars on Earth."

Jetfire gave a small smile as he watched the fireflies continue to twinkle from various locations around them. "The beauty of this planet never ceases to amaze me," he remarked quietly.

"I'm sure Cybertron has its own charm."

"Not like this place…hey Rae, I got a question for you."

"What?"

"How would you like to dance among the stars with me?" he asked as he offered her his hand.

"I'm not much of a dancer," she said.

"Just follow my lead."

She took his hand and he led her down to a grassy field. For the first time, he reached out and took her in his arms. It felt like she melted against him as he wrapped an arm around the small of her back and took her hand in his free hand. He led her in a slow waltz, a ballroom dance beneath the heavens as the sky filled with stars and the ground and air around them twinkled with the glow of fireflies.

Rae felt breathless when they finally stopped moving. She gazed into Jetfire's optics as he stared down at her. She saw desire, she saw need, she saw want, and she felt weak. She wanted to be consumed by him, like a licking, passionate, fire. She didn't care that she was human, she didn't care that he was a machine. People fell in love with stranger things. At least Jetfire was real, at least he could reason, at least he could feel.

"Rae," he whispered. His voice was as weak as she felt.

She wrapped her arms around him. They were alone here. No one would see. No one would know.

"Rae," he breathed again as he enveloped his arms around her. He rested his head on hers as he ran his fingers through her hair. This was all he wanted. He didn't need anything else. He squeezed his optics shut. But he couldn't have her. He couldn't want her. And it was all because someone else said so. He clung to her, willing to take a stand against time, a stand against Optimus. But finally the moment passed.

"We should probably go back inside," she said, "The others will start wondering where we are."

And though he didn't want to, he let his arms fall back to his sides before he followed Rae back inside the base.

* * *

><p>"You wanted to see me, sir?"<p>

Megatron grinned as Wheeljack bowed before him. He rested his head against his hand as he relaxed in his throne. "Yes, Wheeljack. I need you to retrieve something for me."

"Rae, sir?"

"No, I will retrieve her myself when I am ready. I wish for you to steal the pretender technology from Jetfire."

"May I ask why?"

Megatron smirked, "I think it's about time I paid Rae a visit."

"Consider it done, sir."

"You are dismissed," the Decepticon leader stated. He watched as Wheeljack left the throne room, but his thoughts were on Rae. It wouldn't be long now until she was where she rightfully belonged.

"Beneath me," he fantasized, optics flaring with arousal, "Begging for mercy, for more, for _me_."

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><p>Until the next chapter, please review!<p> 


	13. Dangerous Freedom or Peaceful Slavery

So, I'm going out of order on my story update list. I should be updating Dreaming a Reality, but I have extremely severe writer's block at the moment with that story. Rather than sit there and be frustrated about it, I decided I would update my other stories until something came to me for that story. But anyways, this chapter is probably one of my favorites. I also can't wait to write the two following chapters. So much will be happening. Oh, and just so everyone is clear, the title is from a quote made by Thomas Jefferson. "I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery." Kudos to him. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong><span>13.<span>**

**Dangerous Freedom or Peaceful Slavery**

Jetfire wished that he could live in his dreams.

That morning, as he lay awake in the darkness of his quarters, every molecule of his being tingled with want, with an arousal and desire for Rae so strong that he wasn't even sure if he could make it through the day without some kind of release.

In his dreams he could have her, as much of her as he wanted, however and whenever he wanted. There was no one there to say he couldn't. There was no one there to say it was wrong. It was just the two of them tangled up with one another, no space between them, just words of love. Just _pure_ ecstasy.

His metal, her flesh, mixed together. Human and machine functioning as one. They could both think. They could both feel. But neither of them could have each other because they were too different, biologically incompatible.

Jetfire let his optics go offline, his imagination running wild.

_"I miss you, Jetfire."_

_"Come see me."_

_"I know you can shrink down to my size…sneak out and come see me. I don't have any rules here. We wouldn't get caught. No one would know."_

He shook his head, bringing his optics back online. Something like that would never happen, not like he wanted it to. He sighed heavily as he climbed out of his berth. Though he didn't feel like reporting to his duties, Jetfire knew he had to. It was the only thing that would get his mind off Rae.

This lust was driving him crazy.

* * *

><p>Rae grumbled as she went from one store to another in the mall. After her break up with Micah, she felt it necessary to start fresh. She had a new job bartending, a new apartment, new friends (even though they weren't human), and now she felt the need to update her wardrobe. However, as she searched the stores looking for anything that was in her price range, Rae felt herself growing more and more irritated.<p>

"Too bad I don't have an unlimited budget," she muttered under her breath as she pried through a clearance rack.

On her hunt for new clothes, she had managed to score a few new outfits, but it was starting to put a dent in her wallet. She sighed as she pulled a skirt off the rack and glanced at the price. It was marked down to $13.98. Slinging it over her arm, she continued her search through the rack, but eventually gave up.

Knowing it was her size; Rae made her way to the register and paid for the skirt. She took the bag after the cashier handed it to her and made her way out of the store, glancing at the time on her phone.

"6:00 already?" she gawked as she shoved her phone into her pocket. She had come to the mall earlier that afternoon to start on her shopping adventure and get something to eat. She hadn't expected to lose track of time the way she did.

Deciding that she had done enough shopping for the day, Rae headed out of the mall, bags in hand. As she walked out, she glanced at the bus stop. The next bus wouldn't be coming for about 30 minutes, the amount of time it would take her to walk back to her apartment. She adjusted the few bags she had as she walked past the bus stop and headed down the sidewalk in the direction of her apartment.

As she walked, she thought about giving Jetfire a call when she got home. It had been a few days since she last spoke to him and she always missed him. Maybe if he wasn't too busy tonight she would stay the night.

A sudden clap of thunder brought Rae out of her thoughts. Startled, she glanced heavenwards just as a big drop of rain landed on her head. "Oh no!" she exclaimed. She was still a good 15 minutes away from her house. Desperately, she glanced around, hoping in vain that there would be another bus stop nearby, but there wasn't. She sighed heavily as the rain picked up. Knowing it was no use to run, she resigned herself to the fact that she was going to get soaked.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when an engine suddenly revved loudly. She glanced over as an all-too-familiar motorcycle pulled up on the edge of the road.

"Hey!" the rider shouted at her, "I'll give you a lift!"

Rae looked to him as smile went across her face. She slung all the bags around one arm before jumping on the bike behind him. The rider revved his engine and took off once again.

* * *

><p>By the time Jetfire was dismissed from his duties for the day, he could hardly take it anymore. They had done little to distract him from thinking of Rae. He was so aroused that he didn't even know what to do. He had gone back to his quarters in hopes of calming down, but he couldn't. He could only think of Rae and how <em>badly<em> he wanted to take her in his arms and finally show her what his words couldn't express.

_"Your obligations to Optimus are more important."_

Jetfire winced. He didn't want them to be. He didn't want Optimus to come first. He didn't the war to come first. He wanted her to be the most important thing in his life. He wanted her.

_"No, no, no! You_ can't _do this. This isn't lust. One time with her wouldn't enough."_

"Damn it," Jetfire cursed as he sat down heavily on his berth. He could sneak away, he would have time, he could confess everything, _show_ her everything. He glanced over at his desk where the pretender technology lay abandoned.

He could go for a drive with Caliburst. Maybe that would clear his mind. Maybe that would calm him down.

Maybe…

* * *

><p>Jetfire knew as Rae gave him directions to her apartment that there would be no turning back. If she was willing, he was going to have her, and not just once, but as many times the night would allow. He was burning for her, and he wanted her to burn with him.<p>

He felt Caliburst slow down as they pulled into the parking lot of her apartment complex. Jetfire went through the motions of pretending to park Caliburst and turn off the engine before he helped Rae off.

"Come on," she said as she grabbed him by the hand, "Let's get inside."

He let her lead him into her apartment. He felt his synthetic heart flutter as she laughed, closing the door behind them. "I'll get you a towel," she said as she made her way into the apartment, "I'd offer you a change of clothes, but I don't have any for you."

"That's alright," he replied, watching as she disappeared down the hall.

Jetfire glanced around, taking in his surroundings. He presumed he was in what the humans called the living room. Curious, he walked into the kitchen only to see an open letter on the table. Without thinking, he glanced at the letter.

_Restraining order approved…Micah will be released from jail on April 19__th__…_

"Here you go," Rae said as she handed him the towel.

Jetfire took it and began toweling himself off. "Micah is in jail?" he asked, though he already knew.

Rae glanced at the letter before looking back to him, "Yeah. We had a fight."

"Did he hurt you?" Jetfire asked and watched as Rae hid her hands behind her back.

"I took the time to get away from him, if that makes you feel better—

"That's not what I asked."

She sighed, defeated. Slowly, she let her arms fall back to her sides. It was then Jetfire saw the scars on her hands. Horrified, he took her hands in his, running his callused fingertips over her still healing wound. "Rae…what happened?"

She hesitated, breaking eye contact. "I had come home from work late; he thought I was out with someone else. He attacked me right in the parking lot…he came at me with a knife. Someone saw he was attacking me and called the police. He knocked me out and fled, I woke up in the hospital." She shook her head as she took her hands out of his, "Don't worry about it. I'm alright."

Jetfire felt sick. "You need a bodyguard," he said.

She smiled, "Someone like you?"

"If you let me."

She twirled a wet lock of hair around her finger. To Jetfire, she was teasing him. "What were you doing riding around in the rain?"

"It wasn't raining when I left. And I couldn't stop thinking about you; I thought a ride would clear my mind. I didn't expect to see you," he replied.

"Do you need to be anywhere?"

"No, not tonight."

"Stay a little while? I can toss your clothes in the drier if you don't mind wearing a towel."

He smirked, "Would I have to wear the towel?"

"Oh, you're in _that_ kind of mood," she stated, tossing a smirk at him.

"Well, I certainly won't push any boundaries."

There was a sudden twinkle in her eyes that he didn't recognize. It looked like appreciation, like trust…

"I'm going to go dry off. Feel free to use my bedroom to change out of your clothes."

"Yes ma'am."

She showed him where the bedroom was before disappearing inside of the bathroom, leaving the door slightly ajar. Jetfire immediately stripped completely out of his soaked clothing, his synthetic body feeling immediately better once he was stark naked. He wrapped the towel around his waist just as Rae emerged from the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel. He was glad the towel he was wearing covered his erection.

"Make yourself at home," she said as she gathered up his clothes and stepped out of the bedroom.

He listened as she put the clothes in the dryer before turning it on. He sat on the edge of the bed as Rae came back in, closing the door. He watched her as she went over to a mirror and began to brush the wet tangles of her hair. He couldn't hold back anymore.

As she set the brush down, he approached her, encircling his arms around her waist from behind. He pulled her against him, letting his lips brush against her skin. He shuddered. This was all he wanted.

She turned in his arms, a devious gleam in her eyes. She kissed him, forcefully. Jetfire felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as he kissed her back, matching her intensity. However, she broke the kiss long before he was satisfied.

"Do you want me?" she whispered in his ear, her voice low.

"Don't tease me," he growled, kissing her neck.

She chuckled lightly, "Come get me."

Jetfire ignited. Before she had a chance to get away from him, he scooped her up before tumbling onto the bed with her. He kissed her fiercely, trailing kissing down her jaw, her neck, her shoulder. He crawled on top of her, pushing her into the bed with his weight. He felt her fingertips trace down his abdomen before they pulled off the towel he was wearing.

"_Primus, yes…"_ he thought before he quickly did away with her towel. Jetfire made sure to take his time, letting his hands and eyes go where they had only gone in his dreams. She quivered beneath his touch, moaning gently.

"You're so damn beautiful," he breathed.

It wasn't long until she was just aroused as he was, bucking her hips into his to signify she was ready. Willing to oblige, he spread her legs, and, with a soft kiss, he entered her as gently as he possibly could. She winced and a small cry passed her lips. Jetfire kissed her forehead, knowing that he had stretched her further than what she was used to. He waited, allowing her to adjust to his size, and when she was ready, he proceeded to make love to her. He moved at her pace, going gently at first before quickening and deepening his thrusts. He loved how beautifully her body responded to his, as if they were made for each other.

After a while, he could feel her muscles tightening around him, her breathing becoming more staggered. She was close, as was he, but when she came…

A gentle cry escaped her lips as her back arched. He buried his face against her neck as she gripped him tightly. "Jetfire…" she breathed.

The way she moaned his name…it sent him into the most powerful, pleasure-filled climax of his life. And he didn't care that she had said his actual name. Maybe she knew it was really him, maybe she didn't. He didn't care; she was thinking about him, she wanted _him_.

Jetfire kissed her as he came down from his euphoric high. They were both out of breath, but neither of them wanted to pull apart.

"Jeffrey," she managed to say between pants.

"What?" he breathed, chuckling.

"Can we…can we do that again?"

He smiled. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p>Jetfire dreamed that Optimus caught him. He dreamed that Rae was taken away from him, that he was banned from ever seeing her again. He woke with a start and sat up, breathing deeply. He glanced around, taking in his surroundings.<p>

Rae was still sleeping peacefully beside him.

"Primus," he breathed as passion filled his heart so strongly that it hurt.

He allowed the previous night's memories to flood him. He didn't regret anything, he didn't want to leave. This was where he belonged, where Rae belonged. Side by side, in each other's arms.

_In love…_

Jetfire glanced over at the window only to see sunlight peaking in through the cracks of the blinds. Panic suddenly surged through him as he looked over to the clock on Rae's nightstand. It was 6:30am.

_"Frag!"_ he thought as he quickly got out of the bed and left the bedroom. He had to report for duty at 7:00. He had thirty minutes to get back to the base.

Not wanting to wake Rae, he pulled his clothes as quietly as he could out of the drier before slipping them back on. He then ran out the door and climbed on Caliburst.

"Let's go!" Jetfire yelled.

Caliburst didn't have to be told twice as he raced out of the parking lot and headed back towards the base. However, neither of them noticed a black car with a slashed Autobot insignia following them.

**"You stayed the night with her?"**Caliburst asked.

"Yeah…thanks for waiting."

**"If you keep doing this, you will eventually be compromised. You can't keep this a secret forever."**

"She's worth it," Jetfire stated.

Caliburst didn't press the issue any further and instead concentrated on getting back to the base. He eventually reached the mountain the base was in, but stopped outside so that Jetfire could put his armor back on. Caliburst hurried inside the base, leaving the Autobot second in command to put on his armor. Jetfire was quick to put it on before using the pretender technology to resume his robot form. He was just about to head inside the base when something crashed into the back of his head with such force that Jetfire immediately fell to the ground.

His vision exploded with stars, but through the haze, he made out a familiar figure looming over him. "Wheeljack?" he breathed before he lost consciousness.

* * *

><p>"Jetfire?"<p>

Jetfire's head felt like it was spinning as he waited for his vision to clear. When his optics were able to focus, he saw Red Alert looming over him. He blinked, confused. "What…what's going on?" he asked as he sat up.

"We found you unconscious outside of the base," Red Alert explained, "Judging from the size of the dent I removed from your helm, someone must have struck you from behind."

"I thought I dreamed that."

"Do you remember what happened?"

Jetfire knew he couldn't tell Red Alert where he had been. He decided his best option was to fake amnesia. He shook his head, "No. Wish I did."

"Well, be careful. Last thing we need is someone sneaking around attacking us. Optimus wants you to spend today recuperating…Jetfire?"

Jetfire was staring down at his wrists, a horrified expression on his face. The pretender technology…it was gone.

"Jetfire, is everything alright?"

The second in command looked to the medical officer. "Uh, yeah," he lied, "Sorry, I'm seeing things. I'm going to go rest in my quarters."

Red Alert nodded, "Alright, but be careful."

Jetfire nodded and quickly left the medical bay. However, he felt panicked. Red Alert hadn't said anything about the pretender technology. That meant he hadn't taken it. Jetfire stopped dead in his tracks.

"Wheeljack…"

* * *

><p>Megatron laughed as he slipped the pretender technology onto his wrists, examining the way the light glinted off the two golden bands. He looked back to Wheeljack, who was bowed before him. He smirked, "You have done well, Wheeljack."<p>

"I live to serve, Lord Megatron."

Megatron chuckled again. "Tell me," he said, his voice full of mirth, "What is Rae up to today?"

"She is going out tonight, with her friends."

"Do you know where?"

"Yes sir."

"Tonight then," Megatron said, "I'll give this technology a trial run. I'll make sure Rae has a good time."

* * *

><p>Jetfire paced his quarters feeling terrified. Apparently he had been out of it most of the day. There was no telling if Rae was safe or not. He didn't know what to do, and he had called Caliburst to his room to discuss the situation with him.<p>

**"What is wrong?" **the Minicon asked.

"The pretender technology…Wheeljack stole it," Jetfire answered bluntly.

**"Red Alert said you had amnesia—**

"I faked it. I couldn't tell him what had happened, not without revealing my affair with Rae."

**"Jetfire, Rae could be in **_**grave**_** danger. According to Starscream, Megatron is interested in Rae. What if Wheeljack was retrieving the pretender technology for Megatron?"**

"I need to call her…I need to know if she's okay—

**"What will you tell her? You haven't told her the truth about Jeffrey. She won't know what you're talking about if you tell her the pretender technology was stolen."**

Jetfire growled, "Then you will go and make sure she is safe."

Caliburst glared at Jetfire before saying, **"I will do as you say. If Rae is at the apartment, I will bring her back here. But this is the last thing I will do for you until you tell her the truth."**

Jetfire sighed heavily, feeling guilty as he watched Caliburst leave the room. It wasn't fair what he was making the Minicon do. This was his fault. He should've told her the truth right from the start. But now…now that he had slept with her…

Things were going to get a whole lot worse before they got better.

* * *

><p>"What kind of guy just <em>fucks<em> you and leaves?"

Jenna rolled her eyes exasperated as Rae continued to wail in the bathroom of the nightclub. She hugged Rae tightly, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "It's okay, Rae," she said for what felt like the millionth time, "Guys are evil. They don't have feelings. We'll find you someone else tonight and you can be as mean to him as you want."

"He didn't even leave a note!" she persisted.

"Rae! Get a _grip_!" Jenna said, shaking her, "Come on, I'll help you get your mind off him. We'll get you a guy to buy you drinks. Trust me, we'll get you drunk enough to forget all about this."

Rae wiped her remaining tears away, "I could _definitely_ use a drink."

Her friend smiled, "Everything is going to be alright. I promise. Let's go have a good time, okay? Let's show that guy how strong you are."

"Thank you."

"No problem," Jenna remarked as she took Rae by the hand and led her out of the bathroom.

Michelle immediately came up to them. She gave Rae a tight hug before asking, "How are you doing?"

Rae felt like breaking down again. Her face crumpled and she immediately buried her face in Michelle's shoulder. "I trusted him!" she cried.

Jenna glared at Michelle. Michelle smiled sheepishly in return. "Sorry," she said.

"Alright, I've had enough of this," Jenna remarked and turned around. There was a man standing behind her, his back to her. Seeing he was alone, Jenna immediately grabbed him by the arm and yanked him over. However, when she caught a glimpse of what the man looked like, she felt a breath catch in her throat.

Whoever this man was, he was beautiful. His hair was jet black, his eyes such a unique shade of brown they almost looked red, his skin was pale, and he was built like a god. "Whoa…" Jenna remarked before quickly shaking her head.

He glared at her. "Do you mind?" the man asked in a deep, baritone voice causing both Michelle and Jenna to swoon.

However, Rae recognized the voice. She turned and beheld the man. She had no idea who he was, but something about him seemed eerily familiar. And the way he looked back at her…she watched as a smirk went across his perfect lips.

"Sorry," Jenna quickly interjected, but the man kept his gaze on Rae, "My friend, Rae, she's had a rough day. She literally got fucked over by a guy last night."

"He was a red head," Rae admitted, wiping her tearstained face, "It's true that gingers have no souls."

The man's eyes flashed. "A red head you say," he mused, "Perhaps by the name of Jeffrey?"

Rae's eyes twinkled, "You know him?"

"I do, but he's certainly no friend of mine," he replied.

"Well, we'll leave you two alone," Jenna stated as she grabbed Michelle by the arm and led her away.

Rae watched her friends walk away before she looked back at the man. What was it about him that seemed so familiar? She had felt this way with Jeffrey. He had been like a human Jetfire. But this man who was equally as beautiful…there was something dark about him, threatening.

"What do you say you and I go talk some place a little quieter?"

Rae nodded and allowed him to lead her out of the club. However, rather than chatting in the parking lot, she walked with him down the street. She let some silence pass between them, counting her footsteps as she asked, "Have we met before? You seem really familiar."

He grinned, "Perhaps we have, but I can't recall."

"What's your name?"

"I will tell you should it become necessary."

"Secretive, I see. I don't know if that's a good trait in a man."

"You're not innocent, not like you want to believe you are."

Rae looked at him, "Oh, and you are?"

"I'm far from it," he replied as he stopped walking.

Rae stopped walking as well, beholding the man in front of her. There was something about him that awed her, that drew her to him. She had felt like this around Jetfire, but unlike Jetfire, this man terrified her right down to the core.

"So you're dangerous…"

He stepped closer to her, cupping her face in his hand. "I can free you from Jeffrey, from everyone else."

"Freedom…"

He grinned, drawing her closer. He encircled an arm around her waist. "Yes," he said, marveling at how soft her skin was.

"I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery."

Megatron grinned wickedly. "Then you're perfect," he said before leaning forward and capturing her lips with his.

Rae sighed into his kiss. It was forceful but passionate, hungry but sweet. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer. Like poison, he flooded her veins. She forgot about Jeffrey. She forgot about Jetfire.

"You _bitch_!"

Both her and Megatron broke the kiss. A glare was fixed in Megatron's eyes as the last person Rae expected to see approached. Horrified, she stepped back, sidestepping behind Megatron.

"Micah…" she managed to breathe.

* * *

><p>Until the next chapter, please review!<p> 


	14. Until it Kills

Rae is an aggravating OC and I apologize. But thank you for still reading the story and giving feedback. I appreciate it tremendously.

* * *

><p><strong><span>14.<span>**

**Until it Kills**

"Who is _he_?"

Rae cringed at the sound of the mysterious man's voice. A moment ago while he was kissing her she would've never guessed he was capable of such fury, his words spewing venom. She stepped out from behind him, watching as anger flickered through his red-brown eyes.

"M-Micah," she said, "My ex."

"Apparently he hasn't gotten that through his head," Megatron said as he turned back to Micah who was quickly approaching them. He made a tight fist and smiled darkly, "No matter, I'll teach him."

"No," Rae said quickly, grabbing a hold of Megatron's arm.

He looked over his shoulder, his gaze meeting hers. The look of steadfast determination, the slight bit of fear, the appreciation and excitement that glinted in her eyes made him want to kiss her again. "No?" he repeated, making his voice lower than it needed to be.

Rae's cheeks flushed, he grinned. She was cuter than what he remembered. "No," she repeated, her own voice softer, "It's my fight. Please leave."

"Is this the guy you've been running around with behind my back?"

"We're _over_, Micah," she lashed at him, "I have a restraining order against you, get out of here."

"Or what, you'll call the cops?"

Rae took her phone out of her purse as Micah laughed, "You afraid of me, Ra-Ra?"

Megatron snarled and stepped forward but Rae stepped in front of him. "Get out of my way," he growled.

"I said _leave_."

"Yeah, leave," Micah repeated, "Soon as you're gone, this bitch is all mine."

Megatron stepped forward again, but again Rae stopped him again. He glared at her. "No," she said.

"Looks like someone's already pussy-whipped!" Micah exclaimed with a laugh.

"That's enough!" Megatron stated as he shoved Rae aside and swung his fist at Micah, his knuckles connecting with his cheek and sending him to the ground. Megatron proceeded to kick him in the side before saying, "And here I hoped you had more fight in you. You're a waste of a human shell."

"Fuck you!" Micah shouted as he scrambled back onto his feet, swinging his fists at Megatron.

Megatron only chuckled as he caught Micah's arms and threw him back down on the ground. "Why don't you stay down there? As soon as the police get here you can go back to being someone else's bitch," he taunted and then looked to Rae who was glaring at him.

"I told you to leave!" she yelled before turning on heel and walking away.

Surprised, Megatron watched her walk away. His surprise quickly turned to anger as he yelled after her, "If you want me to leave, then I will. But you know what will happen as soon as I do."

She didn't turn around. He growled before looking down at Micah. "Make her pay," he breathed before walking away.

Micah stared after him, waiting until he was gone before he climbed to his feet. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching him before heading after Rae.

* * *

><p>Rae heard the heavy footsteps before a fist connected with her face. She went reeling against a nearby building, strong arms and hands forcefully grabbing her and dragging her towards an alleyway. Rae kicked and clawed trying to get free. She flailed her arms, she twisted and turned, she dug her feet into the sidewalk in an effort to make the man stop.<p>

"This is no way to behave, Ra-Ra. Not after being apart for so long."

"Let me go, Micah!" she shouted as she managed to pull her phone out of her pocket and dial 911.

He laughed as he managed to get her into the dark alley and pin her against a wall. "You shouldn't have told that other man to leave. He was just trying to protect you from me," he taunted.

"I don't need anyone to protect me."

Another shrill laugh escaped from his throat, "Oh really? You just want to make it easy for me to get you? Because I will. I'm going to keep coming after you. _Nobody_ walks out on me."

She spit in his face.

"You bitch!" he shouted before throwing her against the ground and kicking her in the ribs a few times. Her phone went flying out of her pocket.

"_Ma'am? Is everything alright? We're tracing the call right now."_

Micah didn't notice her phone as he hoisted her back to her feet and pressed her back against the wall. Rae saw his nose was bleeding from where the stranger punched him. Immediately she felt guilty. Micah was right, that man had only been trying to protect her. He stayed because he knew she was no match for Micah. She had once again pushed away someone who had only been trying to help her.

"Let me go, Micah," she said, her voice shaky.

"No, I'm _not_ letting you go."

Red and blue lights suddenly filled the alley as a police car pulled into it. An officer immediately jumped out of the car and ran towards them, his gun drawn. "Step away from her!" he shouted, aiming his gun at Micah.

Micah immediately complied, putting his hands on his head. Rae sighed with relief as she watched the police officer arrest Micah and put him in the back of his cruiser before he walked back over to her. "You alright, ma'am?" he asked.

She nodded, unable to find the words to speak.

"You sure?" the officer asked, "You look pretty banged up. I'm going to need to get a statement from you."

"Um, right," Rae said as she tried to calm herself and give the officer the best account of what had happened. She explained who Micah was and how she had a restraining order against him. The officer then went to question Micah. Rae watched from where she was, shivering and on the brink of tears. _"Don't cry,"_ she told herself.

After a few minutes, the officer went back over to her and said, "I'm going to take him to the station. Are you sure you don't need any medical treatment?"

"I'll be alright; he's roughed me up before."

"You'll probably be contacted to come down to the station and give another statement. Hope your evening goes better, ma'am."

"Thank you, officer."

"Just doing my duty," he replied before walking away.

Rae watched as he pulled away before she went and picked up her phone. She brushed a few tears away that had leaked out of her eyes. She tried to compose herself as she walked back out onto the street and sat down on the curb. Before she could figure out what to do, she needed to calm down.

An engine revved loudly to her left, causing Rae to jump. She stood up as a familiar motorcycle parked in front of her, but there was no rider. She smiled.

**"Rae?"**

"Caliburst," she breathed, grateful to see him. She wiped away a few tears before asking, "What are you doing out here?"

**"Jetfire was worried about you. He wanted me to check up on you to see if you were alright. From the looks of it, you've had a rough night. Do you need a medic?"**

For the first time that night, Rae became aware of just how much pain she was in. He ribs were throbbing, her nose ached. She touched her face only to pull her hand away and see blood on her fingertips. She was dirty from being thrown around in the alley. She guessed she was a sight to see. "I'll…I'll be alright," she managed to say, "Think you could take me to the base? I don't really want to be alone right now."

**"Hop on."**

Rae didn't have to be told twice.

* * *

><p>Jetfire had nearly driven himself stir-crazy by the time Caliburst finally reported back to him. It was much later than what he had expected the Minicon to return as it was getting to be close to midnight. He sighed as he looked to the Minicon, trying to keep his composure. "Did you find her?" he asked.<p>

**"Yes," **Caliburst replied, but his voice was tentative, **"Something has happened."**

Jetfire felt his spark stop. "Happened?" he repeated.

**"Someone has injured her—**

"Where is she?"

**"She asked to come back here, so I brought her. She is in her room."**

However, Jetfire didn't stick around to hear anything else. He left his quarters and immediately headed to Rae's room.

* * *

><p>Rae hissed in pain as she eased her shirt off. It was stained with blood where Micah had kicked her relentlessly. It was much easier to take off her skirt and ripped tights before she finally looked herself over in the mirror. Her nose was still bleeding as was her side.<p>

From where she was in the bathroom, she didn't hear as the door to her room suddenly opened. She wet a cloth before wiping away the blood on her face. She could barely keep from crying. Micah wasn't supposed to be a problem anymore. She had rejected the stranger's help. She had brought this on herself.

"Rae…"

She looked over only to see Jetfire standing in the doorway of the bathroom, a shocked expression on his face. "Jetfire," she exclaimed as she dropped the bloody cloth into the sink. She forgot he could shrink down to her size. "I'm sorry!" she said quickly.

"Sorry?" he questioned as he stepped forward and watched as she glanced down over herself. She was only wearing her bra and underwear. He remembered that she didn't know that he had seen her naked before. He shook his head and said, "Don't worry about it."

She looked back to the sink and wringed the cloth out only to press it to her side and wince. It was then that Jetfire saw the large gash on her side that was already bruising. He looked to her clothes only to see they were muddy, bloodstained, and torn. Shocked, he looked back to her as lubricant threatened to leak from his optics. "Rae…what happened?" he asked, taking another step towards her.

"You weren't supposed to know," she said, her own tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"Those bruises, they're not from me, are they?"

She looked to him confused, "No Jetfire, _God_ no…"

"Who?" he asked, waiting for her to say she was attacked by one of the Decepticons with the stolen pretender technology.

"Micah, he…" she tried to say, but it was more of a choked out sob.

"Micah?" Jetfire repeated, shocked that it hadn't been a Decepticon.

She sighed heavily as she tried to compose herself, "I know I pissed you off every time I went back to him, but I was afraid of what he would do if I didn't. Sure I would be safe if I lived here at the base, but he still knew where I worked and where I go to school. When he found out I was sneaking around on him, whenever I broke his rules, he _beat_ me…"

Jetfire just couldn't fathom it…though he had his suspicions he didn't want to believe that someone would try to hurt _his_ beautiful Rae. "How long?" he asked, closing his optical sensors as he tried to think. Not _his_ beautiful Rae.

"Ever since I moved back in with him," she confessed, "I thought the restraining order would be enough once they released him from jail…but he found me. He found me and beat me again and threatened that he was going to keep doing so."

"Rae, how could you keep this a secret? How could you let him do this to you and still act like the happiest person in the world?"

"Despite who he is…despite what he's done to me and what he continues to do, I won't let him have me," her bottom lip quivered as her voice broke, "I won't let him _destroy _me. I will be who I want to be. I will live my beautiful and tragic life until it kills me, he won't control me forever."

His spark went out to her, he wanted to hold her, he wanted to kiss her until her pain went away, he wanted to save her. His beautiful Rae, he _hated_ her hidden nightmare. "Ra-Ra…" he breathed, "You are the strongest person I know."

She gave a small smile as she wiped her tears, "As strong as you may think I am, I'm still really weak on the inside. I still need help…and not just anyone's help, I really want _yours_."

"I am here," he breathed as he went over and hugged her tightly, "I will always be _right_ here."

A few more tears slid down Rae's cheeks as she leaned into Jetfire's embrace. She was surprised by how warm his metal was as she wrapped her arms around him, returning the hug. Rae didn't want to let him go. She didn't want anything outside of this moment. Jeffrey…the other stranger that sounded familiar, she didn't need them. Neither of them had always been there for her like Jetfire had been. "It's too bad you couldn't protect me from crazy ex-boyfriends," she said.

"I will do what I can."

"I should've come here last night and stayed."

Jetfire felt panic go through him. He had stayed the night with her last night. He tried to keep his composure calm as he asked, "Did something happen last night?"

"Jeffrey stayed the night. I let him, I mean; he had never given me any reason to not trust him. It was a great night, I won't lie, but when I woke up this morning he was gone. He didn't leave or note or anything…he was just gone. And that sure felt great," she remarked sarcastically.

"Oh…" Jetfire remarked and immediately felt guilty. He had been in such a hurry to get back to the base that he hadn't even thought to wake her and let her know what was going on.

"I'll get over it," Rae said as she broke out of his embrace, "I don't think I love him anyway." She proceeded to pick up her clothes and leave the bathroom.

Jetfire stared after her for a minute before he followed her out of the bathroom. "What do you mean?" he asked, "I thought you—

"I _know_ I like someone else," she said as she turned to him, "Except I can't really have him. I guess you could say he's out of my league."

Jetfire smiled behind his facemask as he stepped up to her. "Who says he's out of your league?" he asked.

"Societal norms…" she replied before shaking her head, "It's kind of an intense crush, more so than what I felt when I first got to know Micah."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Jetfire…"

"What is it?"

"I hope it doesn't weird you out or anything, but…whenever I'm feeling down or going through a really rough time, I think about you and it helps me feel better."

In that moment, Jetfire knew. This woman before him, despite being human, despite being biologically incompatible, she was his spark-mate. Such euphoria was coursing through his spark that he didn't know what to. All he ever wanted was to be with her, to save her, to keep her safe. And more than anything he just wanted to _kiss_ her…

"Rae," he said, "Close your eyes."

"What?"

"Close your eyes and _do not_ open them."

"O-Okay…" she hesitantly replied before closing her eyes. Though highly curious, she did as he instructed and kept her eyes closed, even after she heard a small swooshing noise.

"Keep them closed," he whispered before leaning forward and pressing his lips to Rae's.

She was so shocked, she started to open her eyes but stopped when Jetfire suddenly growled, "Don't."

"J-Jetfire…"

"Just _kiss_ me."

And she did, finally melting against him like she had always wanted. He cupped her face in his hand as he encircled his other arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Rae sighed as her front collided with his. She reached up, wrapping an arm around his neck as she let her other hand rest on his chest. He kissed her forcefully, hungry for her, wanting access to not only the inside of her mouth but the rest of her body as well. But much sooner than either of them wanted to, Jetfire broke the kiss, immediately allowing his facemask to go back over his mouth before Rae could recognize his scar. He pressed his helm against Rae's forehead, his golden optics heavy with arousal.

"Rae," he breathed.

She opened her eyes, her hazel gaze meeting his soft golden one. He cupped her face in both hands. "Jetfire," she said as tears suddenly brimmed in her eyes, "Don't stop."

He smiled, his optics wearing his smile.

"I'll keep my eyes closed," she pleaded, "We can turn off the lights, just _please_ don't stop."

In one fluid motion, Jetfire reached over and flicked the light switch, immediately engulfing them in darkness. Rae felt relieved when his lips were suddenly back on hers. He kissed her more forcefully, nipping at her lips until she finally opened her mouth and granted his glossa access.

A predatory growl rumbled from his throat as he tasted her. He ached to remove the scraps of clothing that were preventing him from having all of her. Through the darkness, he guided her backwards until they reached the bed. His systems were whining loudly as she sat down, pulling him down with her. More than willingly, he tumbled onto the bed with her, pinning her beneath him as he let his hands wander over her bra, tracing his fingertips down her torso.

His spark ached within its chamber, pulsing almost violently. It was preparing for a merge, but Jetfire knew there was no way he could satisfy it. To attempt a merge with Rae would be disastrous. It was then he felt her fingertips trace over his chest. His chest panels opened of their own volition before Jetfire could stop them. Her hand kept moving.

"No, Rae, don't!"

But it was too late. Her hand fell inside his spark chamber. Jetfire cringed, his whole body shuddering as an intense wave of pleasure cascaded through him. He barely registered that Rae was screaming in agony.

He tore her hand out of his spark chamber, immediately closing the panels. Rae was limp beneath him. "Rae," he breathed, tears suddenly brimming in his optics. "Rae!" he shouted.

She didn't respond.

* * *

><p>The two of them have gone and done it now. But, until the next chapter, please review!<p> 


	15. To Conquer, Not to Kill

Thank you so much to everyone that has been reading and reviewing this story. I greatly appreciate it. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

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><p><strong><span>15.<span>**

**To Conquer, Not to Kill**

"Red Alert, _wake up_!"

"Jetfire, what _is_ it? It's the middle of the night…" Red Alert trailed off when he noticed a lifeless Rae in Jetfire's hand. "What happened?" the medical officer asked as he stepped out of his personal quarters and into the med bay. He commanded a few lights to come on before saying, "Set her over there."

Jetfire carefully set Rae on a berth and watched as Red Alert proceeded to comb through an assortment of medical tools. "Start talking, Jetfire," he said, "I can't do anything until you tell me—

"She was electrocuted," he said flatly, unprepared to explain this.

Red Alert immediately grabbed a tool and proceeded to scan Rae. "What was she electrocuted by?" he asked, "There's certainly a lot of things in this base that could—

"My spark," Jetfire admitted quietly.

Red Alert looked to his superior officer in stunned disbelief. His gaze shifted back to Rae and he observed that she was only wearing her bra and underwear. His visor blazed with fury as he turned back to Jetfire. "Do _not_ tell me that you _tried_ to initiate a spark bond with her!" he yelled, not even glancing down to read the results of the finished scan.

Jetfire's optics widened in surprise at Red Alert's anger. "No," he said, shaking his head as he took a wary step back, "I know _better_ than that!"

"Then _what_ happened?"

"Her ex-boyfriend beat her up. Caliburst brought her back here and I was trying to calm her down when she slid her hand over my chest panels. They activated and her hand fell inside," he explained.

Red Alert looked back to Rae and saw bruising on her face and on her side, evidence that she had indeed been in a fight. "I don't know," he mused as he looked to the results, his anger subsiding a bit.

"Optimus has already threatened a strict punishment if I should ever engage in an illicit relationship with Rae," Jetfire said, "I would never directly disobey his orders."

"You can have this conversation with Optimus later," Red Alert said as he continued to treat Rae, "There's no telling what kind of damage your spark inflicted upon her systems. The most I can do is monitor her condition to make sure she remains stable."

"Did the scan indicate anything?"

"Her vitals seem to be normal, but I fear she suffered a massive amount of radiation from your spark. It could have possibly altered her genetic makeup," Red Alert replied before he proceeded to take a small tissue sample from Rae, "Further analysis will show whether her DNA has been altered."

"And…if it has been?"

"Usually when humans suffer genetic mutations they have unique disabilities," he explained as he prepared the tissue on a slide so he could examine it under a microscope, "I have done a little research on the topic. If mutations occur before birth, humans usually suffer from physical and mental handicaps, however, these mutations can sometimes lead to unique abilities, like extreme height or an extraordinary talent. However, mutations after birth can cause unusual multiplying of cells, which is called cancer. Cancer often times is fatal since no known cure exists."

Jetfire shifted uneasily. It wasn't the news he wanted to hear. He fought back tears as he looked to Rae, his spark-mate. The last thing he ever wanted to do was be responsible for her death. He squeezed his optics closed as he tried to compose himself. Love was meant to conquer, not to kill. Rae _couldn't_ die, not when he couldn't live without her.

_"I believe that love exists, but I haven't found it yet."_

_"So, how will you know?"_

_"I won't be able to live without him."_

"If we are lucky, Rae will only suffer from mild radiation poisoning."

"I never meant to hurt her, Red. I was only trying to help."

"I know, Jetfire," he said, "But in order to lessen the effects of the radiation, we need to decontaminate her."

"How are we going to do that?"

"Soap and water usually does the trick in order to remove as many of the external radioactive particles as possible," Red Alert remarked, "Therefore, _you_ are going to give her a bath and change her clothes. Once you have finished that, I need to treat her with a granulocyte colony, potassium iodide, Prussian blue, and diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid in order to prevent further radiation damage."

Jetfire just blinked at the medical jargon that came out of Red Alert's mouth before carefully taking Rae in his hand and saying, "I'm on it."

However, since there was no place small enough for Jetfire to wash Rae in the med bay, he ended up having to take her back to her room. He shrunk down to her size before lifting her in his arms and carrying her into the bathroom. Cradling her in one arm, he turned on the shower and waited until the water was warm. He vented a sigh before saying, "You're going to kill me for this when you wake up, but just so you know, I'm going to thoroughly enjoy this." And he proceeded to ease her out of her undergarments before stepping into the shower with her.

He held her against him, watching as the water washed down her body. He fought back his arousal as he carefully began to scrub her, every inch of her, letting his hands go where they weren't allowed because he didn't know if he would have the chance to touch her like this again.

"I'm sorry," he breathed into her ear as he rested his helm against her head, watching as the suds slipped from her body and disappeared down the drain, "I never wanted this to happen to you. You mean _everything_ to me." The water from the shower masked his tears. His spark ached with regret, with sorrow. She had to wake up. He couldn't lose her.

"I love you."

* * *

><p>"Have you ever seen how humans give pills to a dog?" Red Alert asked.<p>

"No, my vehicle form doesn't exactly allow me to just take strolls through the town and observe humans," Jetfire retorted.

"My size makes it impossible for me to give her any medication," the medic remarked, "You will need to shrink down to her size and make her swallow these capsules of potassium iodide and Prussian blue."

"Red Alert, she's unconscious."

"She's not incapable of swallowing. You have to give her injections of DTPA and the granulocyte colony afterwards."

"Wait…_I_ have to give her the injections? Red, you _know_ how I feel about shots…"

"You're not receiving the shot, Jetfire; you're giving it since I cannot. But first, the capsules I prepared."

Jetfire grumbled under his breath before shrinking down to Rae's size and taking the pills from Red Alert's work area. He flew up onto Rae's berth before asking, "Alright, how do you want me to do this?"

"Like a dog, you will put the pill in the back of her throat and gag her. She will swallow the pill."

"Won't she throw up?"

"Only if she chokes."

"How reassuring…" Jetfire murmured as he sat Rae up. He tilted her head back and opened her mouth. He was thankful there were only two pills as he picked the first one up. He tried to squash back his nervousness as he placed the pill on her tongue. Using two fingers, he pushed it back until he triggered her gag reflex. He quickly removed his fingers as she swallowed and let out a soft whimper. "No, no it's okay," he said gently.

"Please, spare me all sentimentality," Red Alert said as he observed Jetfire.

Jetfire ignored him as he did the same thing with the next pill. Once Rae had swallowed it, he laid her back on the berth and covered her up since she wasn't wearing any clothes.

"Alright," Red Alert said, "Time for the shots."

Jetfire swallowed hard as the medical officer approached him with two small syringes in his hand. Carefully, Jetfire took them before asking, "Where's the best place to do the injection?"

"It doesn't matter. The shots won't hurt her. Just under the surface of the skin should be okay."

The second in command tried to steady his hands as he took the first syringe. He blinked away the dizziness that threatened to cloud his optics as he gave Rae the first shot. When he was finished, he quickly gave Rae the second shot. Red Alert just chuckled as he took the syringes away from Jetfire. "What do you know, you didn't pass out this time," he mused.

"I hate shots."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, considering Rae hasn't experienced any nausea or vomiting yet, I would say the radiation she was exposed to was moderate. I'll continue to monitor her if you would like to get some rest."

But Jetfire shook his head as he hopped off the berth and resumed his full size. "No Red, I can miss a few cycles of recharge, I'll stay," he said.

Red Alert just shrugged, "Suit yourself."

* * *

><p>"J-Jetfire?"<p>

"Thank the Allspark," Jetfire breathed as Rae woke up a few hours later. He watched as she blinked, trying to get her vision to focus. His golden optics flooded with concern as he watched his spark-mate. "Rae," he said, worry heavy in his voice, "Are you alright?"

"I'm going to throw up."

"No," Red Alert exclaimed as he turned to her, "Not on the—

She leaned over the side of the berth and threw up.

—floor…"

The medical officer groaned before looking to Jetfire and saying, "You're her guardian, you are responsible for this, _you_ are cleaning that up."

"I'll clean it up," Rae sighed as she collapsed back down onto the berth, "Just give me a few minutes."

But Red Alert shook his head, "You're in no condition to be doing anything of the sorts." He then turned to Jetfire and said, "I want it _spotless_."

Jetfire just grumbled, "Calm down, Red. I'm on it."

Red Alert watched him as he proceeded to mop up the mess before he looked back to Rae and asked, "Now, just how are you feeling?"

"Just sick to my stomach."

"No headache?

"I was a bit disoriented when I woke up, but that cleared up."

"It seems you have a mild case of radiation poisoning. It will be a week or so before you finally start feeling better, but the radiation may not stop affecting you for another few weeks. I have given you medication to help combat the radiation from Jetfire's spark, but it won't get rid of all of it."

"Thanks, Red."

He nodded, "I do what I can, Rae. I only suggest if Jetfire attempts to hug you again that you run."

She laughed and Jetfire smiled behind his facemask as he put the mop away. He walked up to the berth Rae was lying on, gazing down at her with a look of relief in his optics. She looked to him before asking, "Care to tell me why I'm naked?"

"Uh," he remarked, his face suddenly flushing, "Red Alert said I had to clean the radiation particles off you…"

Red Alert gazed between them for a moment. The way she looked at the second in command and the way he looked at her…the Autobot medical officer knew better. "It's time for you to report to your duties, Jetfire. I'll keep an optic on her," he said.

"Right…I'll be back later."

"I do have to give a report to Optimus, expect to hear from him later today."

"Great…" Jetfire breathed. He stole one last glance at Rae before he turned and left the med bay.

As soon as the doors closed behind the second in command, Red Alert crossed his arms and glared down at Rae. "Okay," he said, "Just what is going on between you and him? Chest panels do not _just_ open unless a spark is preparing for a merge. And I saw the way you two were looking at each other earlier."

"I…um, am going to be sick again."

"You'll need to think of a better excuse."

Rae sighed heavily. "I got beat up by my ex," she said, "Jetfire was just trying to help me feel better. The next thing I know I'm getting electrocuted. He didn't do anything wrong."

Red Alert stared at her, not convinced. However, her story had matched Jetfire's. Sighing, he turned away from her and went back over to his workstation. Rae stared after him for a moment before asking, "What's a…spark merge?"

"You understand that a spark is similar to a human heart, correct?"

"Yes."

"Well this is similar to your 'the birds and the bees' story. Two transformers can merge their sparks together in order to create a spark-bond or in order to reproduce."

"Spark-bond?"

"I believe the equivalent of a spark-bond in your terms would be marriage," Red Alert explained, "Sparks do not initiate merges unless one has found their spark-mate. It makes me wonder if Jetfire has found his here and has yet to tell anyone."

"But…who would Jetfire be bonded to?"

"In all likelihood, my guess would be Optimus or Starscream."

Rae winced, "Jetfire told me he wasn't attracted to anyone here…except that was a while ago."

"Perhaps his feelings changed."

"I have to ask though, how come you thought Jetfire and I were—

"Together? I wouldn't be surprised if you two have done things behind everyone's back. Jetfire can say he wouldn't disobey Optimus' orders all he wants. If you two have done things, they need to stop. Jetfire would only hurt you, as you can clearly see. You two are incompatible for each other, it's impossible for a bond to exist between you two. And, if Jetfire has found his spark-mate, you need to leave him alone. Humans are meant to be with humans and transformers with transformers. Got it?"

Rae turned away from him as her eyes filled with tears. "Got it," she said firmly.

* * *

><p>Jetfire never, <em>ever<em> liked being called into Optimus' office. This time was no exception. Despite his phobia of getting shots, he would've much rather faced a needle to the arm than his leader. At least this time he knew why he was being summoned. With a heavy sigh, he sat down in a chair across from Optimus' desk.

"I take it you got Red Alert's report," the second in command stated, deciding that he would just cut to the chase and get this over with.

"I did," Optimus replied before venting a sigh himself, "Jetfire, I have reason to be concerned."

"I understand that."

"You told Red Alert that Rae was electrocuted by your spark when your chest panels opened of their own accord. When Red Alert further interrogated Rae she yielded the same story…"

"So, um, what's the problem, commander?"

"Your spark was prepared to merge, that only happens when someone finds their spark-mate. Have you found yours?"

Jetfire decided there was no point in trying to hide it. "Yes, sir," he replied, "I just recently realized."

"I won't ask who it is since that is none of my business unless it needs to be," he said, "However, I need to know why your spark was preparing for a merge when you were with her last night."

"Caliburst had just brought her back to base. She had been assaulted by her ex-boyfriend," Jetfire explained, "I was just trying to calm her down. I gave her a hug and she ran her hand over my chest panels. You know the rest of the story from there."

"Do I, Jetfire?"

Jetfire tried to keep his calm façade. Optimus watched his deputy commander for a moment before finally saying, "I have called your feelings for Rae into question once, Jetfire. The fact that I have to do so a second time makes me highly suspicious that _something_ is going on between the two of you. I specifically ordered you not to engage in a romantic relationship with Rae and that if you should disobey my order, there would be a strict punishment."

"I would never intentionally disobey an order—

"Have you, Jetfire?" Optimus asked, "Are you or are you not involved with Rae?"

Jetfire felt his spark clench with fear. Fear of being discovered, fear of possibly losing Rae. There was no telling just what Optimus would do to punish him. He had just discovered that Rae was his spark-mate; he didn't want things to unfold now. "No," he answered as confidently as he could, "There is nothing going on between Rae and I that should draw your concern. I maintain that I would not disobey a direct order from you."

"I will take you for your word, Jetfire. But should I find out that what you're saying is a lie, the punishment will be even more severe."

"I understand that, sir."

"I hope you do," Optimus replied, "You may go."

Jetfire didn't have to be told twice.

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><p>Rae sighed heavily as she glanced around her room to make sure everything was in order. She needed to get home. Red Alert had kept her cooped up in the med bay for two days to make sure she was alright and while she had a few brief visits from Jetfire, she knew it was time to go. Rae wasn't sure if she would come back, but she always left behind a few outfits, toiletries, and bed sheets just in case.<p>

_"Humans are meant to be with humans and transformers with transformers. Got it?"_

_"Just _kiss_ me."_

_"If Jetfire has found his spark-mate, you need to leave him alone."_

Arms encircled around her waist. Lips pressed against the back of her neck and trailed kisses along her shoulder. Rae felt the hairs on the back her neck stand up as a chill ran up her spine. He chuckled softly. She leaned against him as his lips caressed up her neck. She turned towards him, eyes closed. His lips grazed against hers. She snapped away, looking to him just as his facemask closed over his mouth.

"Jetfire," she breathed, backing away.

"Let me say I'm sorry, Rae," he said as he stepped towards her.

"We _can't_ do this."

He looked away from her as if she had just shot him. After a moment, he looked back to her, his optics full of sorrow. "Rae," he said, "I never meant to hurt you."

She shook her head, "It's not your fault."

"I…I haven't been telling the truth, you need to hear me out, Rae. I _found_ my spark-mate."

"Jetfire, whatever is happening between us, it _can't_ happen."

"We can't change anything we've done—

"I know and I'll never regret it, but I'm going to go away for a while. At least until we can both clear our heads."

He seized her by the arm and pulled her against him. "No," he said, "Not when Micah is still out there, not when Megatron is interested in you, not until you hear me out."

She pulled away from him again, this time backing up towards the door. "I'm sorry," she said with tears in her eyes.

"Rae, I lo—

"_No_ Jetfire, please _don't_ tell me you love me."

"Don't walk out that door, Rae."

"I have to, Jetfire. I'm _really_ sorry."

He slammed his fist into the wall as she walked away, the door closing loudly behind her.

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><p>I can't wait until the next chapter. Until then, please review!<p> 


	16. One More Notch in the Bedpost

Thank you so much for the reviews for the last chapter. Hope you guys enjoy this one, but I think you will.

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><p><strong><span>16.<span>**

**One More Notch in the Bedpost**

Rae sighed heavily as she stepped out of the classroom, her last final of the semester finally over with. She walked slowly as she headed for the exit of the academic building, pulling her phone out of her pocket as she did so. No missed calls. No unread text messages. What was she waiting for anyway?

_"Don't walk out that door, Rae."_

_"I have to, Jetfire. I'm really sorry."_

It had been two weeks since then. She hadn't heard a word from Jetfire, not that she expected to. After all, it had been her that had walked out on him. According to Red Alert, she was getting in the way. Jetfire had found his spark-mate and it wasn't her. It was impossible for it to be her because she was human and he was a transformer. Biologically, they were incompatible and there was nothing either of them could do to change that.

_"If Jetfire has found his spark-mate…"_

_"I haven't been telling the truth, you need to hear me out, Rae. I _found_ my spark-mate."_

_"_…_you need to leave him alone. Humans are meant to be with humans and transformers with transformers. Got it?"_

Rae blinked as she stepped outside; the glare of the sunlight reflecting off the sidewalk nearly blinded her. She paused in her stride as she started digging through her purse, looking for her sunglasses.

What was it people said about new years and new beginnings? A new year meant an opportunity to start anew, to begin again. Certainly this year was proving to be an eventful one. She broke up with her long-term boyfriend, she moved into a new apartment, she had a new job; she missed out on a scandalous romance with an alien robot.

She let another sigh exit her nose as she finally found her sunglasses. She slipped them onto her face before looking up. She wasn't expecting to catch the gaze of a familiar stranger. He smirked at her as he leaned against a black car.

"Rae," he said, "Long time no see."

"Uh…" she remarked, not exactly sure what to say or whether she should approach him, "Yeah, I guess. Honestly, I didn't think I would see you again, I mean, considering how things went."

"Yes…" he mused, "How did _that_ end up?"

"Micah's back in jail," she said with a shrug, "I think he's going to be in there for a while this time. Attempted rape and assault are rather hefty charges."

"You should've let me stay."

"Yeah…I realized that after. I'm sorry, I thought I could handle it."

"You could make up for it by spending the rest of the afternoon with me."

Rae stared at him before saying, "I don't even know your name."

"Connor," he replied, grinning as if there was some kind of joke behind his name, "Connor Maggs."

"Well Connor," she said as she stepped up to him, "I am yours for the rest of the afternoon."

He grinned and opened the passenger side door for her. Rae took her eyes off him and glanced over the black car. It had scratches in the paint, yet the hood seemed like it was freshly painted. There weren't any scratches; the paint seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. As she slid into the car, Rae couldn't help but think something about it seemed familiar.

_As she stared back out the windshield, her eyes caught the gleam of something black…She noticed the black car had a red symbol on the hood that was scratched out and a purple one was beneath it._

Rae shook her head as Connor shut the door. She watched as he walked around the front end before opening the driver's side door and getting in himself. "Where to?" he asked.

She looked to him skeptically. "We could go to my place," she said.

"What's the address?"

"Lincoln Height's Apartments, 104 Capitol Drive."

Rae watched him as he went through the motions of starting the car before shifting it into drive and pulling away from the college. She glanced out the window, thankful that she didn't have to take the bus back to her apartment. However, the silence that was passing between them made her uncomfortable. Before she knew what she was doing, she found herself asking, "So, you know Jeffrey?"

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Has he been giving you trouble?" he asked.

"No…I haven't seen him lately. I never really saw much of him to begin with. He never gave me a way to keep in touch. But things were going so rough with Micah; I guess I was just looking for someone who cared. Obviously he was a mistake."

"You slept with him?"

Rae fought back a blush. "Yeah…" she admitted, "I guess I act on impulse too much. I didn't really know him even though I felt like I did."

"What did he tell you?"

"He's a soldier; it's how he got the scar on his face."

"Is that all he told you?"

Rae felt terrible that was all she really knew about Jeffrey. How had she managed to get so swept up by how nice he was? She groaned. She hadn't even gotten his last name. "Afraid so," she admitted, "But, how do you know him?"

"I'm a soldier as well, higher ranking. I don't know Jeffrey well but I do know of him. Like I said, he's no friend of mine."

"Are you sure we haven't met before? I mean…you sound really familiar. And I feel like I've seen this car before."

He smirked, "We did meet two weeks ago, though, it certainly wasn't under the _best_ circumstances."

"Well, I see it became necessary for you to tell me your name. You wouldn't before."

"You still went with me anyways. And you kissed me."

"_You_ kissed _me._"

"Is that how it went?"

"Well I'm certainly _not_ going to remind you."

"You'll change your mind."

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, a smile tugging on the corner of her lips, "You're dangerous right?"

He grinned, "What do you want, Rae?"

She kicked her sandals off and rested her feet on the dashboard of the car. She watched his eyes travel down the length of her exposed legs to her shorts. "There's an old dirt road outside this town…how fast does this car go?" she asked, tossing a flirtatious smirk at him.

"If you want to go for a ride, then I'll take you for a ride."

She grinned.

* * *

><p>Megatron didn't know a lot about human anatomy, but as he watched Rae sing and dance along to the music she had blasting out of the radio while they roared through the desert, he could feel his dick swelling in his pants and it was growing extremely uncomfortable. He had said he would take her for a ride, but now he wanted to ride her. He would take her right in Wheeljack's backseat if he had to.<p>

"Faster!" she hollered, grinning wildly.

Megatron felt Wheeljack adjust his gears and oblige. He glanced over at her as she turned off the radio. "You know how you said you could free me from Jeffrey, from everyone else?" she asked over the roar of Wheeljack's engine.

"Yes…"

"Would you? I mean…that is if you want to. It's been kind of rough these past couple weeks. This…what you're doing, it's helping me get my mind off things."

Megatron grinned, shifting his attention back out the windshield as he thought, _"Yes Rae, want me."_

"Unless it's too soon."

He looked to her before reaching out and cupping her face in his hand. He leaned closer, drawing her closer to him before he pressed his smile against hers. Rae leaned into his kiss, listening as the engine of the car roared. She had lost Micah. Things hadn't and wouldn't work out with Jetfire. She didn't want to give up on the chance she had with Connor. She didn't have any expectations. She didn't need to fall in love. She just needed someone that would help her forget how awful this year was turning out to be.

* * *

><p>Rae found herself giggling like a fool as she led Connor by the hand into her apartment. He pulled her into his arms as the door closed behind him. She smiled up at him. "I had a lot of fun," she said, "More than what I've had in a long time."<p>

"We could still have more," he purred.

She smirked. She had already slept with three other guys in her lifetime; she wasn't exactly in the mood to scratch another notch in her bedpost. She barely knew Connor as it was. Inviting him into her apartment had already been a big enough risk. And, rather than playing another man's game, she decided to play a game of her own.

After all, she didn't belong to anyone.

She pressed her lips to his, sharing what felt like the millionth kiss between them that evening. Like Jeffrey, he was a wonderful kisser; however, he was slightly more aggressive. He nipped her lips playfully, he held her tighter than what he needed to, as if he didn't realize his own strength. And Rae was certain that she would have a few bruises from him. But that was alright, if he wanted to be rough, she would bite right back.

She guided him over to the couch she had in her living room and pressed him down onto it, forcing him to break the kiss. He gazed up at her, curiosity filling his eyes. She gave a small smile. "Are you hungry?" she asked, letting her voice be huskier than what it needed to be.

"Just for you," he replied.

Rae was caught off guard when he suddenly reached out and snagged her wrist in his hand before jerking her closer. He hiked her shirt up a bit before pressing his lips to her abdomen, trailing kisses along her exposed hipbones. A breath hitched in her throat, her body reacting to the unexpected pleasure before her mind could. A small moan passed her lips as he traced his tongue along her hipbones. If he was trying to get into her pants, he knew exactly what he was doing.

"I need a drink," she stated quickly, backing away from him and disappearing into the kitchen. She took a deep breath as she opened the refrigerator, grabbing the bottle of wine she had. Rae knew that drinking alcohol wasn't the wisest decision at the moment, but she needed something strong to help cope with the sudden throb between her legs. She had enough self-respect not to sleep with a guy she had only seen twice.

"Who am I kidding," she mumbled under her breath. She had slept with a guy so she could have a place to stay that night. She had slept with Jeffrey after three encounters. She hadn't even known his last name. What was one more notch in her bedpost at this point anyway? Her life was already screwed up enough as it was.

Rae turned back to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of vodka. She poured a shot before she poured herself a glass of wine. After putting both beverages away, Rae quickly took the shot, wincing as the awful liquid seared her tongue and burned into her stomach. She immediately chased away the vodka with a few mouthfuls of wine. Her stomach was empty; she knew she would feel the effects of the alcohol almost immediately.

_"Just relax,"_ she told herself, _"Whatever happens, happens. Enjoy yourself. You don't need to fall in love with this man."_

With a deep breath, Rae turned away from the kitchen, glass of wine in hand. She walked back to the living room only to see Connor going through her phone. He looked up at her as she entered, an innocent smile going across his face. Rae stared at him. Something about him just looked so…evil.

"Hope you don't mind," he said, "I added myself as a contact in your phone."

"Oh," she remarked as she sat down on the couch beside him, "No, that's fine." She reached for the television remote as she took a sip of the wine.

"Who's Jetfire?"

She nearly choked as she swallowed. "Uh…" she remarked as she quickly tried to think of a lie, "A friend of mine. That's his nickname. Weird I know." She made a mental note to change his name in her phone as soon as Connor was gone.

"I see…"

"I have Netflix," she stated quickly, "We could watch something."

"Nothing overly sentimental, please."

"Horror it is then," she said as she searched for a movie to watch. After a brief search, she settled for _The Omen_. However, after only watching the first 30 minutes of it, Rae felt ready to go hide underneath the covers in her bedroom. She moved closer to Connor without realizing she had. And, when he wrapped an arm around her, she snuggled against him, immediately feeling safer in his embrace.

A chill went up her spine as he traced his fingertips over the exposed flesh along her hip.

Rae tried to ignore it as he traced invisible patterns along her skin; however, it quickly became difficult to focus on the movie. She glanced over at him and saw he was staring at the television screen, a grin on his face. However, Rae had no idea that his full attention was on her and not on the movie at all. She looked back to the movie as he shifted his gaze down at her.

"Scared, Rae?" he breathed.

"No," she answered, but her voice betrayed her, "Okay…maybe a little."

Megatron knew he had to play his cards right if he had any hope of getting what he wanted, her submission. He closed his eyes, smiling wickedly at the imagery. He opened his eyes as Rae finished her wine. The more she drank, the easier this would be.

After all, he wasn't asking for her permission.

He let the movie drawl on in the background as he leaned over and brushed his lips against Rae's neck. Her eyes didn't shift from the television. He smirked, trailing kissing to her jaw. She could ignore him all she wanted, he would have her undivided attention soon enough.

Rae didn't think much of it when Connor suddenly pulled her onto his lap. She tried to concentrate on the movie as he kissed her neck, his fingertips teasing around her waistline. However, the task became nearly impossible. Ignoring the movie, she turned so she was facing him, straddling herself on his lap. She saw the lust twinkling in his blood-red eyes. He wore the most sinister smile she had ever seen.

"I'm trying to watch a movie," she breathed, "But you're driving me crazy."

He could smell the wine on her breath. It made her toxic. His dick throbbed. "I took you for a ride earlier," he purred seductively, snaking an arm around the small of her back, "You should take me for one."

She grinned, her pupils wide. She was impaired and Megatron knew it. He traced his fingertips up her exposed thighs grinning as goose bumps formed on her skin. "You don't have anything to lose," he breathed.

"Show me what you got, big boy."

* * *

><p>Rae woke up to the sound of her phone vibrating on her nightstand.<p>

She winced as she sat up to see who was calling. As the fresh slice of pain ripped through her, so did the memories of the night's previous events. She sighed heavily as she remembered she had sex with Connor, not just once, but a full on marathon. Her muscles ached; her crotch felt like it had been rubbed raw. Connor had been a lot more aggressive than she thought he would be. Though there had been exquisite pleasure, there had also been exquisite pain. She knew she would have bruises in the morning.

"Hello?" she answered groggily, not even checking the caller ID.

"Rae…"

Her heart skipped a beat as Jetfire's voice flooded her ears. Tears sprang to her eyes as she glanced over at the sleeping man beside her. "Why are you calling?" she whispered, "I haven't heard from you in two weeks, why now?"

"I was hoping you would have had time to cool down. You walked away from me before I had a chance to explain myself. I want to talk, Rae."

"It's the middle of the night," she whispered, glancing at her alarm clock. 1:27am.

"I can't sleep. I haven't been able to; I need to talk to you _right now_."

She sighed heavily, "Right now isn't exactly the best time…"

"Why are you whispering?"

Rae didn't want to tell him that there was another man in her bed, but she couldn't lie. "I…uh, well—

She nearly jumped out of her skin as she heard Connor say, "Rae, go back to sleep. Whoever you're talking to can wait."

She winced as she heard Jetfire intake a breath sharply, as if he had just gasped. "Rae," he seemed to wheeze, "Whoever you're with, he sounds _just like_ Megatron."

_"_…_I'm going to go away for a while."_

_"No, not when Micah is still out there, not when Megatron is interested in you…"_

Rae's face paled as she looked over and caught Connor's gaze. What human had blood-red eyes anyway? She shook her head before she said back into the receiver, "That's impossible. Look, I have to go."

"I'm sending Caliburst over right now. I'll see you in an hour."

"I _can't_ go over there right now!"

But the line was already dead. She set her phone aside before glancing over at Connor. "I have to go," she said flatly, "You're welcome to stay here if you like."

Anger flashed through his eyes. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"A friend of mine is having a crisis," she said, unsure if she was lying or not, "They're coming over to get me."

"The first time I met you, you wanted me to leave. Now you have to leave?" he said, obviously not happy.

"I'm sorry," she breathed as she got up from the bed and began rummaging through her closet for something to wear. She decided on leggings and a sweatshirt, "It's not like I exactly want to leave."

"Then don't," he said, "Get back in bed with me."

"I can't," she said as she put on a bra and panties, "I owe you."

"I'll remember that," he said as he got out of the bed and reluctantly eased himself back into his clothes. He went over to Rae as she stood in front of the mirror, brushing her hair. He wrapped his arms around her waist pressing himself against her. She paused what she was doing to look at him.

"I'll call you," he said.

She gave him a small smile before leaning against him. "Okay," she said. He gave her a quick kiss before he left her room, Rae watching him as he left. As she watched him walk away, she couldn't help the feeling of unease that suddenly settled in her stomach.

Part of her hoped that he _wouldn't_ call.

* * *

><p>"Megatron, sir," Wheeljack exclaimed, quickly activating the holographic image of a hood to hide his insignia, "You're back."<p>

Megatron rolled his eyes as he stepped up to Wheeljack. "Yes, Wheeljack, I am," he said as he climbed into the driver's seat.

"Is everything alright?"

"Jetfire called her. Something is up."

"If she is going to the Autobot base, I could follow her."

"I feel that won't do us much good," Megatron mused as he stared at the door to Rae's apartment, "Let's head back to the base, Wheeljack. I've gotten what I wanted for tonight."

_"I owe you."_

He grinned.

* * *

><p>When Rae arrived at the base, she was surprised to see Jetfire already outside waiting for her. She hopped off of Caliburst, reading the anxiousness, the fear in his optics. He waited for Caliburst to go back into the base before he scooped Rae up and set her on his shoulder.<p>

"What's going on?" she asked.

"We need to talk," he said as he walked away from the base. He stopped when they reached a small field. He set her down on the grass before he knelt down so that he was more level with her height.

"Right now? It's the middle of the night, I'm exhausted and I had company."

He furrowed his optics at her, "Your _company_ sounded a lot like Megatron."

"That's doubtful unless Megatron can suddenly become human."

"With pretender technology he can."

"Wait…what?" Rae asked, looking to him confused, "Transformers can become human?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me this?"

"Because the last time I tried, you walked out of the base on me," he stated, exasperated.

"I had a good reason for doing so. I mean, you must remember what happened between us the last time."

"I certainly haven't forgotten," he said, "I never will."

Rae smiled even though she didn't want to. She watched as his gaze on her softened. He lifted her chin with his finger. He gently rubbed his thumb against her cheek. "I wanted to be mad at you," she admitted quietly.

"Wanted…" he mused, "So you no longer are?"

"You're making it impossible."

He smiled behind his facemask. "Are you mad?" he asked, "Or are you confusing anger with fear?"

She averted her gaze from his. "I'm not a transformer, you're not a human, you almost killed me. I have every right to be afraid," she said.

He removed his hand from her face, venting a sigh as he did so. "Yeah, that does make things a bit complicated," he said.

"Can't we just say 'Yeah it was fun, but we're better off being friends?'" she asked, "There's no way it could ever work out. You would get in trouble if Optimus found out. Plus you have a spark-mate. That wouldn't be fair to them."

"Yeah, about that…"

"It's okay, Jetfire. I understand and I don't want to get in the way of that," she said as tears pricked at her eyes, "I'll get over it."

"Get over it?" he asked curiously.

"I don't think it's any big secret that I _like_ you," she said as a few tears slipped out of her eyes, "I had always hoped I could have you one way or another, regardless of what anyone thought. And I _almost_ did. But…"

"But what, Rae?" he asked, his voice soft.

She squeezed her eyes closed, "It _kills_ me to know I never can. You found your spark-mate."

"Rae," he breathed as he scooped her up and cradled her against his chest.

"I thought my heart broke when Micah cheated," she said, "But it breaks even more knowing I can never be with you."

"Rae," he said, "I'm _right here_."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," she said as she wiped her tears away, "I'm exhausted and this was the last thing I ever wanted to talk about."

He listened as she tried to calm herself down. He would give her the time she needed. He wasn't going to let her go, not this time, not until she finally heard what he had to say. As her sniffling subsided, he said, "Rae, I need to show you something."

Rae wiped her eyes, a curious expression going across her face. "What is it?" she asked as he set her back on the ground and leaned closer to her.

Slowly he allowed his facemask to retract, revealing his mouth, a mouth that very few had seen. He watched as she looked at him, confused. He wanted to shudder when her fingers suddenly traced the scar that ran though his lips, permanently disfiguring the right side of his mouth.

"I know someone that has a scar that looks exactly like this one," she said as she looked up so that her gaze met his guilty optics, "Come to think of it, he sounds a lot like you, acts a lot like you, and Jeffrey would be a good alias for someone named _Jetfire_." And she glared at him as she suddenly figured it out.

"I can explain—

"Oh really?" she asked, venom in her voice, "You couldn't explain before?"

"I was going to the first time I saw you," he said as he sat up, holding her in his hand so she couldn't go anywhere. He allowed his facemask to come back over his mouth as he tried to say, "I never meant for things to go this far, Rae, it's just—

"It's just _what_, Jetfire? I don't know how you're able to become human, but do you _really_ think it's okay to go gallivanting off with someone that isn't even the same _species_ as you and not even tell them about it?" she demanded, tears in her eyes, "You have a spark-mate, is this why you haven't told whoever it is that you're their spark-mate? If there's anything I hate more than being cheated on it's being lied to and used!"

"Hear me out, Rae," he said as he watched the tears escape from the corners of her eyes and slide down her cheeks.

"No!" she remarked, turning away from him in a dreadful attempt to wipe her tears and hide her pain from him, "Why should I let you fuck with my feelings some more? For Christ's sake, I had sex with you!"

"You _will_ listen to me, Rae," Jetfire exclaimed, angry now as he forced her to look at him, "Yes, I was in the wrong, I should have told you the truth long before now. But listen to me when I say that I was never using you, my feelings for you are genuine."

"I'm sure your spark-mate would love to hear that," she scoffed.

"I haven't told my spark-mate that she is my life-bond partner for one very _specific_ reason."

"And what's that?" Rae demanded, almost cynically.

"She isn't the same species as me," he confessed.

_"For every transformer created, there is another created to be with that one…it's preordained by Primus I guess. When we find the one we're supposed to be with, we know it, kind of like an instinct."_

She paused, blinking. She let his words sink in before she said quietly, "You mean…?"

"Yes, Rae. _You_ are my spark-mate."

"I am?" she breathed, her anger suddenly leaving her. She now understood why Jetfire had kept the truth from her.

"Rae," he whispered, "I never thought a human and a transformer could be spark-mates. I thought it was always two transformers…we _can't_ change this."

"Jetfire, I don't want to get hurt again," she said as tears continued to fall from her eyes, "You know what my ex did to me, you saw."

"I would never hurt you, Ra-Ra. You've seen into me, into my soul, you've seen everything I am."

"But you're not human…and I'm not a transformer. I'm going to get old and die much sooner than you will."

"When has something that was meant to be ever been something that we could control?" Jetfire asked, "I didn't choose this, but I accept it. I love you, Rae, Primus _damn it_ I love you. I'll get down on my hands and knees and beg you to love me if I have to."

"I don't want to hurt you…"

"Then _please_ don't walk away."

"You accept me as who I am?" she asked as she cried, "This horrible broken mess that I am?"

"Oh, do I ever," he said as he held her against his chest, "Love me so that I can wipe your tears away, love me so that I can take all the broken pieces of your heart and make you whole again."

"Jetfire," she breathed, but he still heard her, "You're saving my life."

"Please, save mine too."

"I love you, Jetfire," she said as she clung to his chest, "I _love _you."

He smiled probably the biggest smile of his life as he shrank down to her size and held her in his arms. His facemask was gone in an instant. He beheld her for a moment, her eyes met his optics, she had never looked more beautiful. "Finally," he breathed before he dipped her slightly and pressed his lips against hers.

She wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him back, matching his intensity. He couldn't get over how soft her lips were compared to his, they were so warm, so wet, so sweet, and he was so hungry for her. He turned and held her against him without breaking the kiss. He let his hands roam her body. He ran them down her torso, up her arms, through her hair, across her hips; he traced the features of her face with his fingertips.

And, after a few long moments, he lifted his lips from hers and listened as she breathed hard, her chest rising and falling heavily as she tried to catch her breath. "So you are my last," she said.

"Your only," he said.

"Forever?" she asked as she leaned against him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"For always."

She smiled up at him before asking, "You wouldn't happen to have your hands on that pretender technology right now would you?"

"No, Wheeljack stole it from me. I have no idea what he did with it. But the fact the guy you were with sounded just like Megatron…I can't help but believe it was him, especially since he said he was interested in you," Jetfire said and watched as her face paled, "Rae?"

"I slept with him, Jetfire," she admitted quietly, "I'm sorry…it was before all of this, before I knew—

"It will _not_ happen again," he snarled venomously, his anger startling her.

"No, it won't," she said, "Now that I know I am destined to you there will be no one else."

"Did he hurt you?"

"No," she answered, her heart filling with guilt.

"If there's one thing you're going to learn, it's going to be to have a little more respect for yourself. I know you've been through a lot, but that's no reason to give yourself away to other men."

"I'm only giving myself to you from now on."

He smiled down at her, "We do need to keep this a secret, at least until we can figure out a way to tell the others."

"I understand that."

"Then come to berth with me."

And Rae allowed him to lift her in his arms before he carried back into the base. He took her to her room instead of his and set her on the bed before he lay down beside her and took her in his arms. "Go to sleep," he whispered, "I'll be here when you wake up and every morning from here on out."

She snuggled closer to him. "I love you, Jetfire," she breathed as she closed her eyes.

"Love you too, Ra-Ra," he replied as he watched her fall asleep. And, for the first time since she left, he was able to close his optics and slip into a fitful recharge.

* * *

><p>And now for the fireworks...please review!<p> 


	17. Red Handed

Some fans have been getting upset with me because I don't update as frequently as I used to and I apologize. I do intend to finish all of my stories, it's just that I have a hard time getting inspiration and finding time to write. I was taking summer courses and the semester starts back up on Monday. Last one, yay! I probably won't be able to update during the semester due to the fact that I am going to be extremely busy, but after that I should have time. Thank you for putting up with me.

* * *

><p><span><strong>17.<strong>

**Red Handed**

"Hey Jetfire, you want to watch a movie when you get done in here?"

Optimus couldn't help a glance as he turned away from what he was doing at the computer console to observe his second. Rae had been there an awful lot lately, more so than usual. It was almost like she lived there again. And, though Jetfire had informed him that it was because Rae was on summer break, Optimus had other suspicions.

"Yeah, sure Rae. I'll see you in about an hour."

"Okay, see you around."

Optimus watched as she left the command center. Rae was certainly an interesting human, partly because he knew so little about her. However, out of all the Cybertronians that wandered the base, she acted like Jetfire was the only one that existed. Jetfire and Rae's relationship seemed casual enough. But, he knew little what happened between them behind closed doors.

_"Just how much does Rae mean to you? I could feel what you were feeling."_

_The second in command stiffened, "Optimus I would never intentionally disobey an order—_

_"Jetfire, I didn't ask if you had disobeyed an order."_

_He sighed heavily before saying, "Honestly, I like her a lot more than what I should. But don't worry, I know what you said."_

_"Your spark was prepared to merge, that only happens when someone finds their spark-mate. Have you found yours?"_

_"Yes, sir," he replied, "I just recently realized."_

"Hm," Optimus mused to himself.

* * *

><p>Rae was surprised to find a voicemail had been left on her phone when she got back to her room. Thinking it was a telemarketer or a wrong number, she tapped on it, planning to delete it. However, when the screen came up revealing the identity of the caller, she paused. She hadn't been expecting a 10 second voicemail from Connor. She paused before holding her phone up to her ear to listen to the message.<p>

"Rae," he said, and then he paused for a moment, "Call me back. I want to know what is going on."

She pulled the phone away from her ear, staring at it. He still sounded like Megatron. She shook her head. No, it couldn't be, could it? Yes, Megatron was interested in her. Yes, Wheeljack had stolen the pretender technology from Jetfire.

_"I'm a soldier as well, higher ranking. I don't know Jeffrey well but I do know of him. Like I said, he's no friend of mine."_

How could he possibly know Jeffrey if Jetfire had never been in the military as a human? Maybe Jeffrey bore a resemblance to a different Jeffrey that Connor knew that also happened to be a red head. She didn't want to believe—_refused_ to believe that she had slept with Megatron. It made her insides twist with unease. Just why would Megatron be interested in her anyway? It didn't make sense. She was Jetfire's spark-mate; there was no reason for Megatron to be interested in her like that.

_"Call me back."_

She felt like throwing up as she pressed the callback button. Even if this was Megatron, she would let him know that she was no longer available and never would be again, especially for the likes of him.

"What is it _now_?"

Rae jumped a bit, surprised at the harshness of Connor's voice. "Um…" she said, suddenly losing her all her courage, "It's me…did I…call at a bad time?"

"Rae," he remarked, his tone suddenly friendly, "About time you called back."

She decided to get right to the point. The sooner she got off the phone, the better. "Uh, right. Sorry about that, I was busy. I need—

"Where have you been? I haven't seen you around."

"About that. You see, not to be a dick or anything, but whatever is going on between us, it can't." She listened as he growled and then quickly continued, "I'm involved with someone else. He's been my friend for a long time; he's helped me through a lot—

"Is it Jeffrey?"

She stopped, but she knew as she hesitated that her silence was only providing the answer. She sighed before saying, "Yeah, it is." She cringed as he snarled.

"Don't get comfortable with him, Rae. It will not last."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You will see very soon."

The line went dead. Slowly, Rae pulled the phone away from her ear. She stared at it a moment before finally hanging it up and setting it aside. She turned around and gasped, startled to see Jetfire standing there.

The look in his golden optics was fierce, but his voice was gentle. "Who was that?" he asked.

"Connor," she replied, "He had called me and I tried to tell him that it wasn't going to happen. He knows I'm with you…well, Jeffrey at least."

"You mean _Megatron_ knows."

"We don't know if—

"I'm telling you, Rae."

She looked down dejectedly and was quiet for a moment before saying, "I just don't want to believe I—

"Rae."

She looked up at him as he took her in his arms, immediately feeling better. "I don't hold it against you," he breathed, his facemask retracting as he pressed his lips to her forehead. "I had you first," he said, "And I'll have you last."

"Jetfire…"

He swallowed her lips in a kiss. She sighed as she leaned into him, returning the kiss. Large, metal hands eased their way down thin, pale arms. His large frame pushed her back, guiding her to the bed where he eased her down onto it, carefully positioning himself above her. He decorated her with kisses, smothered her with them, and he could smell her arousal heavy on his olfactory sensors. She could feel the heat radiating off his frame, hear the sound of his cooling fans working to calm his highly charged systems.

"I want you," he breathed, voice dripping with desire, lust burning in the golden orbs that made up his optics.

"Jetfire…"

His fingertips thumbed around her waistline, tempting the edge of her shirt and dipping beneath the edge of her shorts. Slowly, he eased a servo up her torso and cupped her breast, giving it a firm squeeze. He moaned a sigh as he did so. "Primus," he said under the ventilated air that came out of his intake, "You're so soft."

"We were going to watch a movie," she said in a small voice, trying to distract him from his lust for her.

He hung his helm as her words sank into him. "I wish there was a way," he sighed, rolling over and settling beside Rae on the bed.

She sat up and looked to him, "I told you I would have sex with you like this, but—

"But I don't want to hurt you," he said, finishing her thought for her, "Our bodies reach high temperatures during interface, I don't know if my transfluid would be poisonous to you, and I've already electrocuted you once when you touched my spark."

This time she gave a sigh, murmuring what Red Alert had once told her, "Biologically incompatible."

"Come on Rae, stop looking for reasons for this not to work. All we have to do is get the pretender technology back from Megatron—

"Wheeljack," she corrected him.

He quirked an optic ridge at her before continuing, "_Megatron_ and then we'll be all set."

She rolled her eyes as she shook her head. Not wanting to continue the conversation she asked, "Alright, what do you want to watch?"

"You know I can pirate anything off the Internet," he said.

"Pride and Prejudice," she said almost immediately, "Sorry I love chick flicks."

He chuckled and gestured for her to bring over a datapad from her desk, which she did. She brought it over to him and he took it, gently pulling her down beside him. Rae settled beside him as he pressed a few buttons and in no time had the video playing on the screen.

However, just like the last time they had watched this movie, Rae fell asleep right before it ended. Jetfire grinned over at her and shut down the datapad, setting it aside, before he took her in his arms and gave her a small kiss on the forehead. "I love you," he breathed as his optics went offline, "Sweet dreams."

* * *

><p>"It's called karaoke," Billy whined, "Come on Fred, get with the program will ya?"<p>

"But Billy I'm hungry. When I'm hungry it doesn't let me think right."

Jetfire listened as a few of the Autobots laughed, however, his optics were focused on Rae as she moved about the rec. room, tidying up a bit before sitting down on the couch. There were balloons filled with helium tied all over the place. The humans were celebrating a birthday, Rad's apparently, and he was turning 14.

"Is this thing on?" Billy said into the microphone, only to produce a loud squeak, which caused everyone to simultaneously groan.

"Hey, do you mind?" Hotshot asked, "Our audios are sensitive too."

"Sorry," Billy remarked before looking up, "So who's singing first?"

"You should sing a duet with Fred," Carlos replied, "Something by Britney Spears."

"No," Rae said smirking, "Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-A-Lot."

"Yes!" Carlos replied, immediately agreeing.

Before Billy or Fred had a chance to protest, microphones were thrust into their hands and the song was turned on. However, neither of them really attempted to sing, and instead purposely butchered the song, leaving everyone nearly choking from laughter. When they finished, both Billy and Fred turned the microphones over to Carlos and Rae and Billy said, "For revenge, the two of you are doing a duet. Barbie Girl by Aqua."

Rae rolled her eyes as she and Carlos fulfilled their challenge, though extremely off key. Hotshot had to wipe a lubricant from his optic before he said, "If you guys sing anymore of these ridiculous songs I am going to break a gasket."

"Then that's a good sign we should break into the cake instead," Alexis spoke up, "But not without singing happy birthday first."

The boys immediately groaned and Rad quickly added, "That isn't necessary, Alexis. I mean, Hotshot already said if we sing anymore he'll bust a gasket."

Alexis rolled her eyes and picked up the lighter that was on the table next to the cake. "Fine," she said as she lit 14 candles and then smiled as she pushed the cake towards Rad, "Make a wish!"

Rad paused for a moment before he inhaled deeply and expelled the air forcefully, blowing out all the candles, causing the rest of the kids to cheer. "Wait a second," Sideswipe said, "What was the purpose of that?"

"Purpose of what?" Alexis asked.

"Lighting those sticks on fire and blowing them out?"

The girl shrugged, "Nothing really, it's just a birthday tradition to light candles on a cake, make a wish, and then blow them out. However, the wish supposedly only comes true if you can manage to blow all the candles out."

"You humans have a lot of traditions that deal with wish making," Sideswipe mused.

Alexis shrugged, "It's a birthday; why not try to get some extra fortune?"

"Who cares!" Fred exclaimed, "Just give me a piece of the cake!"

However, before Rae could get her piece of cake, her cellphone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out, dread crawling through her veins. She was surprised to see it was Jetfire calling. After doing a double take, she looked back to Jetfire only to watch him motion to be silent. After a moment her phone stopped vibrating and not long after, a voice mail appeared on her phone.

Finally, she placed the phone to her ear and listened to the message. "Pretend your mom is calling you and let's get out of here, Barbie girl." She rolled her eyes before saying to the others, "Hey guys, I'm going to take my cake and run, mom called."

"You sure?" Fred asked, "I mean, there's no cake left and I'm still hungry."

Rae shook her head and gave a small smile, pushing her piece over to Fred, "Alright. Just don't rub in my face how good it was." And with that, she got up and headed out the door, Jetfire following after her claiming that he was her guardian and needed to stick with her. However, as soon as he was out the door, he shrank down to her size and seized her in his arms.

Rae hadn't had a chance to put her phone back in her pocket yet when she felt Jetfire's powerful arms wrap around her, enveloping her in his embrace. She managed to squeeze her phone back into her pocket as she walked with him, albeit slowly, back towards her room.

"I saw the look you gave me when I called you Barbie girl," he ventilated against her neck once his facemask had retracted.

She rolled her eyes as she turned to face him, "I'm no Barbie."

"I don't know what a Barbie is," he chuckled as he kissed her, pressing her against the wall outside her room. The kiss was powerful, heated, much like the one he had given her when his spark had been preparing for a merge.

"Jetfire…" she breathed as he kissed down her neck.

Hands. His hands were suddenly everywhere, groping at her, teasing her, tugging at her shirt as he resumed kissing her. "Let me try something," he said as his fingertips thumbed along her waist.

"Out here?"

"We'll hear someone if they come along."

"Okay," she replied, "But if I say stop—

"Then I will stop," he said, finishing her sentence. He pressed his lips back against hers and felt a charge prickle through his chassis as he eased his hand under Rae's shirt, sliding it upwards until his fingertips grazed her bra. Carefully, he dipped his fingertips beneath, cupping the breast in his hand.

"Nnh," Rae softly moaned as digits delicately teased her nipple, starting her senses on fire. She leaned into him, letting her hands roam his frame for any place that might further ignite his charge. Instead, he fought her back with a kiss, his charge building on its own as the scent of Rae's arousal met his olfactory sensors.

However, his charge was destroyed in an instant.

Neither Rae nor the second in command had heard the footsteps approach as they had been too focused on one another, lost in the heat of their passion. And that's why both of them immediately jumped and broke away from each other when the voice of the Autobot commander suddenly and harshly reprimanded, "Jetfire!"

"C-Commander," the second in command stated, shocked that he had not only been caught, but had been caught by the last person he ever wanted to know, "I—

"Save it, Jetfire," Optimus scolded, his golden optics ablaze with surprise and anger, "Report to my office _immediately_."

"Optimus—

"Pack your things, Rae," the Autobot commander said, looking to her, his gaze maintaining its fury.

Despite the tears that suddenly clouded her vision, Rae spared a glanced at Jetfire. She couldn't see his facial expression, but his sudden silence made her feel sick. Without another word, she quickly turned to go into her room, not looking back as Jetfire resumed his full size and followed Optimus to his office.

* * *

><p>Jetfire was fully expecting to be killed the moment he walked into Optimus' office. If his commander didn't kill him, then he expected he would receive a punishment far <em>worse<em> than death. Reluctantly, he stepped inside. With a cold glare, Optimus indicated for him to sit, which Jetfire promptly did.

At first, no one said anything. Jetfire stared at his leader, thinking he would cut right to the chase. Optimus stared back, not exactly sure where to begin. Finally, the second in command broke the silence, saying, "I can _explain_, Optimus."

"I don't really require an explanation," Optimus replied, "I saw full well what is going on between you and Rae. You _disobeyed_ a _direct_ _order_ not to engage in a romantic relationship with her."

"It's not my fault, sir. You know who I am as a person, Optimus. I would never, under any circumstance, deliberately disobey an order."

"Then why did you this time?"

"It wasn't intentional—

"How long has this been going on, Jetfire?"

"A few months."

"Have you had sex with her?"

Jetfire hesitated before admitting, "Yes."

Optimus stared at him in stunned disbelief. It took him several moments before he could finally say, "I'm not sure I even want to know _how_ you're accomplishing that. If you're doing it with her in your robot form, then you're risking her health tremendously."

"No," Jetfire said and decided to just come clean, "I stole the pretender technology. I replaced it with a copy so that no one would figure out it was missing."

"Jetfire…" Optimus stated before finally asking, "How far are you expecting this to go? Just what will you do next? You're only going to end up hurting Rae. This _needs_ to end, and you leave me no choice."

"What are you going to do?" Jetfire asked.

"I will inform Rae that she is no longer allowed in the base. You are no longer allowed to see her and your services as her guardian are no longer required."

Furious, Jetfire slammed his fists down on Optimus' desk before exclaiming, "You _can't_ do that, Optimus!"

"Considering the circumstances," Optimus warned, "It's best you remember your place, Jetfire."

"I am well aware of my _place_, sir," Jetfire growled, venomously, "Remember when, once upon a time, you fell in love with Elita, how you would've done anything to be with her? Remember how you _almost_ lost your position as leader of the Autobots because it wasn't very exemplary for you, a commander without weakness, to take a mate? But I stood by_ you_, through _all_ of it, because I _believed_ that no one should be denied love. I would consider it _betrayal_ on your behalf if you did not stand by me now, now that I've found my spark-mate."

Optimus fell silent, his anger suddenly replaced with understanding. Jetfire hadn't meant to disobey him because he hadn't chosen to fall in love with Rae. He had stolen the pretender technology so that they could attempt to have a normal relationship; he had stolen it so that he wouldn't hurt Rae. Optimus wasn't a fool, no one could choose who their spark-mate was, it was preordained. There was only one person for Jetfire and it just so happened to be that Rae was it. And Jetfire was right, if he didn't stand by his second in command now, then he wasn't much of a friend. The Autobot leader sighed heavily, relenting.

"I knew from the moment you laid optics on her that nothing was ever going to be the same," Optimus said as he looked to his deputy commander.

"I'm…sorry if I let you down commander, I know it doesn't look good for a guy like me to fall in love with someone who isn't even the same species as me…"

"Jetfire," Optimus remarked sternly.

"Yes sir?"

"I've seen the spark between you and Rae. I don't…" he hesitated, "I don't disprove…it's just…what happens when she gets old? I'm sure you've thought about it."

Jetfire looked down, averting the intense gaze his leader was giving him. "I...am aware that her lifespan is much shorter than ours…" he stated.

"Then why entertain the feelings if it's just going to hurt you in the end?"

And Jetfire looked to Optimus, glaring. "Sir, if it's anything I've learned from you, it's that anything can happen if you try hard enough, if you _believe_ with everything you have. I won't give up on what I know is real; I won't sacrifice everything because someone says it's impossible. I _will_ make this work, I believe in that girl with everything I've got, and I'll find a way to keep her forever, even if it kills me."

For a moment, Optimus was silent, then he looked to his second in command, a smile in his optics as well as behind his facemask. "Alright Jetfire, you've convinced me. Let's talk to Red Alert, let's see what we can do."

"Thank you, sir. And from the bottom of my spark, I mean it."

"Don't let it go to your head, Jetfire. You will still be punished for disobeying an order. And, before I dismiss you, is there anything else that I should know of?"

Jetfire hesitated for a moment. He had already spilled his guts out to Optimus, and it was best to come clean now before things exploded again. "Wheeljack stole the pretender technology from me," he confessed, "I believe he gave it to Megatron and I believe Megatron has used it against Rae."

Concern and anger both flashed through the Autobot commander's optics. "Jetfire," he groaned, "Rae could be in grave danger, you should have informed me of this sooner."

"I would have had you been a bit more open to the topic."

"Is that why when we powerlinked during that one battle you were so angry? Did Megatron say something to you?"

"He told me that he knew about my relationship with Rae and that I should enjoy my time with her because it won't last. It was after that the pretender technology was stolen and some human suddenly showed up in Rae's life that that sounded just like ol' Megs."

"We do have fully functional duplicates of the pretender technology, just so you are aware."

"…Wait…you do?"

"Yes, though I am not sure if I am ready to grant you access to a set," he said as he rubbed his helm, warding off a processor ache, "You may leave Jetfire, but we will discuss this further at another time. There will be rules, but for now, just keep your relationship with Rae under the wraps. Only Red Alert and I are to know. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir."

"Good, you're dismissed."

* * *

><p>Rae was so blinded by tears that she could hardly focus as she attempted to fold her clothes neatly and put them inside her duffel bag. She was so lost in her thoughts, in her fear over potentially losing Jetfire that she nearly jumped out of her skin when familiar arms wrapped around her waist, even familiar lips pressed to her neck.<p>

"Jetfire," she breathed, surprised.

A light laugh escaped his throat, "Going somewhere?"

"Optimus said—

"I know what Optimus said, sweetspark. It's okay."

"No it's not, he told me to pack my things, obviously I have to leave, obviously I'm not allowed here anymore," she said as she turned to face him, tears leaking out of her eyes and trailing down her cheeks. She whimpered on the verge of sobbing, "I don't want to lose you, Jetfire."

"Stop packing, you haven't lost me."

"But Optimus—

"Changed his mind."

She blinked, stunned, "W-What?"

He chuckled, "I convinced him otherwise. I made him see. We have to keep it a secret for now, but we are allowed."

Elation quickly replaced her misery. "Good grief," she breathed, her stomach lurching, "I've gone through such a rollercoaster of emotion it's going to make me sick."

"Well, don't be sick. This is going to work out, Rae. We are meant to be."

"Yeah, well, you're sleeping on the floor tonight."

He groaned, "Now what'd I do?"

"You could have told me right when you walked in here that Optimus changed his mind. You just like it when I spill my heart to you."

He laughed, "Of course I do."

"Like I said, the floor."

"You'll miss me."

She ignored him as she set her duffel bag aside and crawled onto the bed. She kicked off her clothes, just leaving her bra and panties on. "Okay," he said, crossing his arms, "That's not fair."

"You'll need this," she replied, tossing a pillow at him and then turning off the light.

"Wait…I really have to sleep on the floor? I don't think so." And, regardless of what she thought or how she protested, he crawled into the bed beside her, pulling her into his arms.

"You're an ass," she said.

"Aft."

"Whatever."

"I love you, sweetspark."

She smiled, rolling her eyes, finally giving in. She leaned against him, sighing. "I love you too," she breathed, before closing her eyes and falling asleep. Jetfire listened to her breathe and gave her light kiss on her head before he slipped into a fitful recharge as well.

* * *

><p>Please review! Expect some StarscreamAlexis in the next chapter.


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